Steered Straight
by zoey04
Summary: Levi is a military Captain with the US Marine Corps in charge of a very small, elite reconnaissance force responsible for surveying enemy territory before the military formally makes its move. Eren is a rebellious trouble maker who shuffles in and out of lock-up until his twenty-first birthday when the judge offers him a choice that will change his life.
1. Chapter 1

**This is a little modern day military AU that I've been working on for a while. I'm trying to keep the characters pretty cannon, and I've incorporated a lot of the same things and themes from SnK, but I did change some things up a little.**

**As for the Marine Corps aspect of this fic, all my experience is with local and federal police, and all of my military friends are either Air Force or Navy, so I apologize for any inconsistencies in that area of the fic. I know that Levi and his squad don't accurately represent the USMC at all, but that's kind of on purpose. They're supposed to be more cannon. As in: Levi's title is Captain in this story, which I don't think is an actual USMC title, but that's what they use (typically) in SnK. I thought about tweaking it to Lance Sergeant or Corporal because I've seen Heichou dubbed to those as well, but I like Captain better :3**

**Anyways, I'm really fond of this story, so hopefully you guys enjoy it as much as I do.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 1: Eren<strong>

Pulling my hood more securely over my head, I take another look around, my breath steaming when it hits the cold air. The streets are clear, so I pull out my lock picks and kneel before the door to the abandoned hotel. The thing has been abandoned for longer than I can remember, but it has a drained indoor swimming pool below ground that is perfect for skateboarding. I've been busted on more than one occasion for breaking in here. Sure I could just go to the skate park a few blocks down, but where's the fun in that?

When the lock clicks, I grin and grab my board, hurrying inside. Closing the door behind me, I take the stairs two at a time down to the underground floor. Throwing the board out in front of me as I reach the bottom of the stairs, I jump onto it and dip into the empty pool.

Ever since my mom died when I was thirteen and my father abandoned me, I've been living with a family friend, but have honestly spent more time in Juvenile Hall than in that house. I'm not stupid, I've always gotten good grades in school- albeit grades that would've been better if I hadn't missed so much school due to my stints in Juvie- but ever since my parents left me I've never felt like I belonged anywhere. Mikasa has treated me like a brother and has cared for me, but her parents saw me as nothing but a nuisance and a bad influence on their daughter. It wasn't until after my mom died that I started acting up, hanging with the wrong crowds, and getting into trouble. My first arrest was when I was fourteen and I got caught stealing candy bars and a soda from a convenience store. Mikasa tried to keep me in line, and she did a pretty good job, but after we graduated from high school, she enlisted in the Marines and left. I felt abandoned all over again. That is when things took a bad turn for me. I got into smoking, drinking and drugs, and I started committing more serious crimes, like breaking and entering. When I turned twenty, Mikasa's parents kicked me out of their house, and for over a year I've been on my own, living on the streets and stealing food to survive.

After nearly an hour of tearing up the swimming pool, I perch myself on the edge and pull out my pack of smokes. Lighting a cigarette, I lay back on the cool cement and blow a lazy puff of smoke into the air. It's only a minute later that I hear a faint sound in the distance, but it's growing louder, closer. It's a sound very familiar to my ears. The shrill of police sirens.

Tossing the half used cigarette to the ground, I jump to my feet and take off out of the hotel. Once back out on the street, I toss out my skateboard and jump on. I know I must have a shit-eating grin on my face, but I can't help it. I live for this thrill. I know I'm going to get caught, I know I can't outrun the cops, but this is the best part. I live for the chase.

I race down the massive hill behind the abandoned hotel. This whole area is run down, most of the stores and houses boarded up. Cars don't travel these roads, and the pavement is cracked, potted, and covered in tree branches and gravel. I usually don't choose to escape this way, but I thought I'd try something new this time. Perhaps this way will get me a little farther, considering the cop cars will have a hard time maneuvering around the debris in the road. But just as I peel around a corner, going much too fast, my wheel hits a rock and I'm suddenly flying through the air. The last thing I think to do is tuck my head, protecting it with my arms, before I hit the pavement. I feel my shoulder scrape against the asphalt as I slide, then roll. I'm glad for the chilly fall weather that forced me to wear jeans and a sweatshirt, protecting my skin from the asphalt as I roll to a stop, my back against the cold ground. I feel a cold wind and a thick wetness on my shoulder and arm. Damn. The pavement must've ripped through my sweatshirt, shirt, and down to the skin.

A cop car screeches to a halt beside me, and suddenly two large men are flipping me over and roughly pulling my arms behind my back. I hiss in pain.

"Easy, gentlemen," I tell them, then hiss again as one of them grabs my arm, right over a large patch of missing flesh. "You got me, you got me."

"Damn it Eren," one of them curses, dragging me to my feet. I recognize his voice. He is often the officer that ends up arresting me. I'm proud to say we are now on a first name basis. "When are you going to fucking get it together? Your sister is a good girl. Why can't you act more like her?"

"But what fun would that be, Paul? I have to make sure you don't sit on your ass all night long. I have to make you do _something_ while you're on the job," I joke with him.

"You're a little shit, you know that Eren?" he says, shoving me into the back seat of his car.

"If I wasn't, we wouldn't be having this conversation," I smirk.

...

Early the next morning, with bandages wrapped around my arms and taped across my shoulder and face, I'm dragged into a very familiar courtroom in front of a very familiar judge. He's still finishing up the docket before mine, so the court marshal shoves me into a chair in the corner to wait my turn. The courtroom is mostly empty, save for the judge, a couple of marshals, the prosecutor, and a handful of lawyers waiting for their cases to be called. In the gallery, only three people are seated, observing the court proceedings. Two are what appear to be a couple, and who appear to be the parents of the teenager currently standing before the judge. The mother sniffles and the father looks angry and disappointed. But the third observer sits in the back of the room, in a crisp military uniform. Decorations and symbols of rank adorn his jacket. He's a big man, his blonde hair cut into a military style undercut, and his blue eyes look serious and stern. He doesn't appear to be paying attention to the case currently being heard, so I wonder who he's here for. Possibly the case after mine.

"Next up," the judge suddenly calls, "I have docket number 1257, people versus... oh boy. People versus Eren Jaeger on the charges of breaking and entering."

The court marshal hauls me out of my chair and guides me to the front of the courtroom. He pushes me behind the defendant's table and shoves me down into the chair. I huff at him, trying to get my handcuffed wrists into a more comfortable position.

"Mr. Eren Jaeger..." the judge sighs removing his glasses so he can rub tiredly at his eyes. "You have been traipsing in and out of my courtroom nearly your entire life. You have proven to me that you are neither willing nor capable of changing your lifestyle by yourself. That being said, I don't trust you to be out on the streets any longer. Who knows how far you will escalate. However, seeing as you're twenty-one, I'm willing to give you a choice. I will either tack on second degree burglary with the intent to vandalize and resisting arrest to your charges and sentence you to ten years in Maria Federal Prison, or you may choose military service."

My eyes widen. What did he just say? Ten years in a federal prison for skateboarding in an abandoned hotel's pool? Or... military service?

"You can't give me ten years for breaking and entering. You've only given me three months before," I argue with him.

"You're an adult now, Mr. Jaeger, and your long rap sheet of petty crimes is becoming rather obnoxious. I am ending this behavior for you since you are unwilling to do it yourself. You will be straightened out, either in prison or in the military. It is your choice. You have sixty seconds to decide."

This is so unfair! I can't go to prison for ten years, but military service? I'm not cut out to be a soldier. At least, I don't think I am. When Mikasa left for the military, I never once stopped to think of joining with her. If I had four years ago, I wonder how different my life would be now. Can the military really change me? I don't know why I keep getting in trouble with the law. I'm obviously doing it on purpose, but I don't know what keeps driving me to break laws. Is it that rush? The adrenaline high I get when I know I'm about to be caught? Will I get that same rush serving in the military? Will I be able to follow orders? Well, it beats ten years in federal prison, I think...

"I guess joining the military won't be so bad... I'll get a gun, right?" I joke, trying to play off my discomfort and nervousness.

"Military service it is," the judge says. "Eren Jaeger, I sentence you to one year of service to the Marine Corps, position to be decided by Commander Erwin Smith. If you get yourself dishonorably discharged before the year is up, you will serve the full ten years in Maria Federal Prison. In one year's time, if you wish to leave the military, you must come back before this court and I will deem you ready or not ready to leave. If deemed not ready, you will be sentenced to one more year, and so on. Is this understood?"

"Yes," I say, a frown on my face. A whole year? Hopefully I will survive that long, and then be able to finagle my way out of a second term.

A man steps up to my elbow, and I see that it's the military guy from the back of the room. So that's what he is doing here. He was here for me. I had forgotten about him.

"Commander Smith, he's all yours," the judge says, slamming down his gavel.

A court marshal removes my handcuffs and hands me a bag containing the belongings I had on me when I was arrested: my backpack, a pocket knife, my lock picking tools, a pack of gum, a handful of packs of cigarettes, my lighter, a handful of granola bars, two shirts, a pair of ripped jeans, two half full water bottles, and approximately twelve dollars in change and one dollar bills. It is all I have to my name. Riffling through it as the commander guy ushers me out of the courthouse, I see that they've confiscated my lock picking tools and my pocket knife. At least they left me my smokes. Once we step out of the courthouse and into the brisk autumn air, I pull out a cigarette and stick it in the corner of my mouth. Before I can even find my lighter though, Erwin pulls the cigarette from my mouth and tosses it in a garbage can.

"No smoking while you're around me," he says, not looking down at me as he leads me by my arm down the sidewalk.

"When will I not be around you then?" I retort. I want to pull out another one, but I know he'll just throw that one away too, and I don't want him wasting my smokes.

"Not for a while," is his reply. I groan, and he stops me beside a sleek black sedan. "Get in."

I reach for the door of the passenger's seat, but he slaps my hand away and yanks the back door open for me. I stick my tongue out at him when he turns his back, but slide into the car anyway.

"So where are we going, Commander Sir? You shipping me off to boot camp or something? You should know that I have absolutely zero military or police training. I only know how to run from them. And piss them off," I tell the back of his head as he starts the car. I know Mikasa was in basic training for a couple of months. Basics are going to suck, but every day I'm in a training camp is one less day I'll be out in the Middle East somewhere getting turned into Swiss cheese.

"You're not going to basic training," he replies, pulling into traffic.

I sit upright, my eyes wide. "What do you mean I'm not going to basics? You just going to hand me a gun and ship me off to Afghanistan and tell me to go get shot?"

"I am the commander of over six hundred soldiers, all divided into about fifty squads," he starts to explain. "I am assigning you straight into one of these squads. It's a small squad and less than four dozen people in the world know what they do, including military and government personnel. It's a special operations squad, and my captain who runs that squad is the only officer that I believe will be able to straighten you out. He is humanity's strongest soldier, and he's the best equipped to handle your situation."

"Uh huh..." I say skeptically, crossing my arms over my chest. He's sending me, an untrained, rebellious nobody to a super secret special ops squad just so that this super skilled captain can beat me into submission? I'm not sure I believe him. That doesn't make any sense. "So... when are you sending me off? And where am I even going?"

"The location of the squad is confidential."

"What, are you going to blindfold me?"

"No, but you won't know where you are," he promises me.

"I have eyes, you know," I retort.

He doesn't say anything, driving down the road in silence. I slouch back into my seat, closing my eyes and resting my head back against the head rest.

"Is there anything you need to pick up before we leave? I have a plane on stand-by, but I'd like to leave as soon as possible," he says.

"Nope. All my worldly possessions are here in this backpack," I tell him, patting my backpack that sits at my feet. "When you live on the streets, you tend to not weigh yourself down with unnecessary junk. All it does is get in the way."

I catch him glance back at me in his rearview mirror. His expression is a little surprised. Then, he smiles. "Yes, my captain will definitely be able to help you."

...

Erwin pulls up to a hanger a few miles outside of the city. It's a military base, and big, green cargo planes line the tarmac. He pulls the car up next to one of these planes, its engine running loudly. He steps out of the car and I follow behind him, looking around at all the uniformed men busying themselves with the planes and the cargo. Why can't I end up here? They are all a part of the military as well.

Erwin takes my arm and I wince as he squeezes one of my wounds. He doesn't care though, pulling me towards the plane. Three soldiers salute him as we approach the steps. He salutes them back, and they follow us up onto the cargo plane.

"What is our destination, sir?" one of the soldiers asks as the hatch closes and the engines rev.

"You're dropping us off with the special operations squads. I have the flight plans," Erwin tells them. "For now, head east. I'll join you in the cockpit in a moment."

"Yes, Commander," the solider salutes, then heads into the cockpit.

The other two soldiers takes their seats in the few seats that line the sides of the cargo plane. Erwin leads me to the row across the plane from the two soldiers and sits me down.

"Don't touch anything, don't get up, and don't speak," he tells me as the plane starts to move.

"Yes, sir," I mock with a half-assed salute.

He just stares at me with hard eyes. "I dare you to pull shit like that with your new captain. You won't live past the week." He's trying to sound humorous, but I can hear the threat beneath his tone. It should probably bother me more than it does. He turns to the two soldiers across the plane from us. "Watch him."

I raise an eyebrow at him, but he's turning his back and walking towards the cockpit. I exhale and lean back in my seat, crossing my arms over my chest and resting one leg over the other. The two soldiers stare at me, not looking at all impressed. I stare back at them, trying to make them feel uncomfortable. But they don't waver.

"So..." I say. "Do either of you know where we're going?" I ask them.

They don't say a word, just continuing to stare at me. The one on the left is a big guy, his arms thick, and his brown eyes intense, just like Erwin's. His brown hair is cut into the typical crew cut. The other guy isn't small, but looks much smaller sitting next to Muscles. His blue eyes are relaxed though, not intense like Muscles' eyes.

"Do you guys know how to talk?" I ask.

Still nothing. I shrug and lay back across the row of uncomfortable seats. I didn't get much sleep in lockup last night. Might as well catch up on my beauty sleep. Who knows how long we'll be flying anyway.

...

"This is him? I was expecting... more. He looks like a brat."

The voice that wakes me is unfamiliar, but it's a smooth, slightly deep voice, and it's comforting. I realize that it's very quiet, that I can't hear an engine running, and that the rocking has stopped. We must have landed. I open my eyes and sit up. Erwin is standing there with another man at his elbow.

The man has the most intense grey eyes I've ever seen, beating out Erwin's and Muscles' eyes hands down. His lips are drawn down in a frown. His black hair is cut in the same military style undercut as Erwin's, only his long hair is much longer, his slightly parted bangs hanging almost down to his eyes. He's wearing a pristine, almost too clean uniform just like Erwin's, only he doesn't have as many distinguishing stripes on his shoulders, and he has an addition of a white cravat. He looks unapproachable and intimidating, but... he's so short. He appears to stand nearly a foot shorter than Erwin. I'm somewhat of a short guy myself, but even I must be taller than he is. I have to admit though... he's actually really hot.

Wait a second... "Did you just call me a brat?" I ask, standing. Yup, he's shorter than me by at _least_ two inches.

"You have a problem with that?" he asks, raising an eyebrow at me. Yes, I have a problem with that! He's ruining his good looks in my eyes by talking to me like I'm a child.

"Mr. Jaeger," Erwin says. "This is Captain Levi Ackerman. Levi, this is your new recruit, Eren."

My eyes widen, and before I can stop myself, I say, "You mean this shorty is my Commanding Officer? He's humanity's strongest soldier?"

Levi is in my face in a heartbeat. Before I can say a word, I'm suddenly on the floor on my back with Levi's boot against my throat. From this angle, I can see up his coat and can clearing make out the under-the-arm gun holsters, each with a shiny black gun nestled inside. Maybe provoking this man isn't such a good idea. I push against his boot, but the short man is surprisingly strong. When I struggle, he pushes down on my neck harder. I can still breathe, but it effectively stops my struggling.

"This brat has no respect, does he?" Levi growls at Erwin. "Why the fuck are you saddling me with him?"

"He was arrested last night for breaking and entering. His rap sheet is filled with similar charges dating back seven years," Erwin starts to explain.

"If you're trying to impress me, Erwin, you're doing a horrible job," Levi says.

"He's been living on the streets. His mother is dead and his father abandoned him. That was when he started acting out. All his crimes are crimes of attention. He needs your help to straighten him out, Levi. The court assigned him to me for a year, and I'm assigning him to you."

As Erwin talks, I watch Levi's expression soften ever so slightly. He removes his boot from my neck and turns towards the open hatch. I sit up, rubbing my throat. Levi stops in the doorway, turning to look back at me.

"Are you coming or what?" he snaps at me.

I jump to my feet and follow the intriguing captain out of the plane. "Yes, sir," I say, my tone genuine.

"I'll be back in a week to check on his progress and address any concerns," Erwin calls down the ramp after us. "Everything you need to know about the kid is in the paperwork I gave you." Levi raises a hand, an understanding yet dismissive gesture.

For such a short man, he has a long stride. I nearly have to jog to keep up. I'm still wearing the same clothes I was arrested in last night, and the cold air chills my skin where the asphalt ripped my sweatshirt and shirt. Hoisting my backpack more securely onto my shoulder to cover the hole, I look around. We're on a short runway in the middle of a thick forest. The air is very thin, and I can see off the front of the runway that we're way up in the mountains. The view is beautiful, a rushing river and deep canyon many, many miles below the runway. I've never been anywhere except for that small dank city in the California valley before. The only time I've ever left the city was to go to the next city's jail. I've never seen anything like this before. I've never seen anything other than flat, hot, dusty farmlands. It's quiet out here, the only sounds that of the birds and the wind. The air is cool and fresh, and it feels so good. I could never leave this place and be perfectly happy for the rest of my life.

Levi is striding towards a dark green jeep with no doors or windows. It's a standard jeep with two seats in the front and a couple of sacks and cases in the back. I hear the plane rev up behind us, and I look back to see Erwin closing the hatch. The plane starts to roll back down the runway, and moments later, it takes off, soaring over the beautiful mountains and disappearing from sight.

I hurry after Levi and he gestures to the jeep. "Get in," he demands of me, climbing into the driver's side of the jeep. He starts the engine and I hurriedly run around the back of the jeep to climb into the passenger's side. Levi pulls out onto the runway the second my ass is in the seat.

"Where are we?" I ask him as he drives down the runway towards a dirt road that curves down and to the right, down the side of the mountain.

"That's confidential," he replies, his eyes on the road as he weaves in and around the thick trees down the rough dirt road. "You will learn our location only if I decide to keep you in my squad. This base is small as far as Marine Corps bases go, and is kept secret from the public. Only three top secret special operations squads use this base, mine being one of them."

I nod, looking around at the thick forests around us. I see no signs of human life. An active military base should show some signs, shouldn't it? I wonder how far away the base is from the runway. I look back at Levi to ask, but instead I end up watching him drive the jeep. I find myself really liking the way he handles the vehicle. It must sound weird, but he looks so smooth and... masculine. Clutch, shift, brake, turn, clutch, shift, gas... I've always loved manual cars. They make the men, and women too I guess, driving them look so-

"What the fuck are you staring at," he demands, not taking his eyes off the road.

I start and look back out into the forest. "Nothing." Is it just me or is the air suddenly even thinner than normal up here?

"What is your military experience?" Levi asks me, effectively breaking the tension.

"None," I reply.

He actually looks at me then for a moment before focusing back on the weaving road. A frown mars his face. "Any basic training?"

"Nope," I say.

"No, Captain," he corrects me.

"Nope, Captain," I repeat with a slight sneer.

Levi's fist is suddenly gripping a handful of my hair. I wince, trying to pry his hand off, but his grip doesn't waver. "This isn't a game, Jaeger," he snaps at me, not taking his intense eyes off the road. "This is the military. You will learn to respect me really quickly or I will make your life a living hell. That is, if your disrespect doesn't get you killed first."

"Yes, Captain," I reply quickly. It's usually snarky comments that my mouth spits out in such situations, getting me into more trouble, but for some reason, none come to me now. I'm quick to comply with whatever this intimidating man says or does. What is happening to me?

"So tell me, Eren," he says, his voice a little softer as he releases my hair. "How does an untrained brat with no experience like you end up in my elite squad?"

"I don't know, Captain," I tell him honestly. "All I know is that the judge offered me the choice of military service or ten years in federal lockup. I chose this. I had no idea that I was being assigned to your squad on a secret military base. I was kind of hoping I'd end up in a communications center or something."

"I meant before that," he says. "Erwin said you lived on the streets. How long?"

"Why does that matter?" I automatically retort before I can stop myself. I wait for him to hurt me again, but he doesn't.

"There are some things I need to know about you so that I can properly train you, Eren," he says. He seems to be very comfortable using my first name. I thought the military was more formal than that. "You have absolutely no training, which means I need to train you from nothing into someone worthy of my squad. I need to straighten you out, and that's going to take a lot of work on my part. Knowing some things about your past will help."

I frown. I just met this man, and we haven't exactly gotten off on the right foot either, but he wants me to just spill my guts to him? Whine about my dead mother and a father that abandoned me? About how nobody really wanted me, how the only way I could get attention from anybody was by acting out? But I end up telling him anyway. Something about him just drags it all out of me. I don't know why, but I... I trust him.

"My mother died with I was thirteen and I guess my father couldn't handle it because he abandoned me. I moved in with a friend and her family, but her parents didn't like me. They thought I was a bad influence on their daughter. They kicked me out about a year and a half ago and I've been on the streets ever since. What else is there to say? I started hanging out with the wrong people, they got me into trouble, and I never got out of trouble. I've been in and out of lockup my whole life. I guess I want to change, I've just never tried," I tell him. I instinctively reach for my cigarettes and pop one into my mouth. Levi snatches it away and tosses it out of the jeep. I wonder if he taught that move to Erwin or if Erwin taught it to him.

"That's disgusting," he says, then, "I'll be able to help you, but you need to let me help you, Jaeger. This bullshit where you rebel against everyone won't fly. This is the Marine Corps, the most heavily trained branch of the greatest military in the world. I will treat you like a soldier. Not a felon, not a child to be coddled, a soldier. I don't give a fuck about your past. I will use it to train you, but other than that, it won't matter. Not to me. I will make you a new man, a man that is actually worth something to humankind, and not a fucked up little brat."

"Yes, sir," I reply. No one has ever done that for me before. I've always been the screw up, the nuisance, the troublesome punk. I've never really been treated like an equal before, but suddenly this complete stranger is making me feel like I could actually matter in this world. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me, just listen to my orders and respect me, and we'll be fine. Disrespect me or betray my trust and you won't get a second chance. I'll send you back to that court so they can throw your ass in federal lockup."

"Yes, sir," I reply firmly. That wasn't an empty threat, and I know it.

It falls quiet again, just the sound of the jeep rumbling through the empty forest. I think over what Levi said, and I start to get nervous. I have a feeling my training is going to be intense, and even after training it's not going to be a walk in the park. This is a top secret special operations squad. They don't get that title for the easy, laidback operations are assigned.

"Do you know what it is my squad does?" Levi asks me, drawing me from my thoughts.

"No. Erwin just told me that your squad was a special ops squad that only a very small number of people are aware of."

"Our special operations is reconnaissance. We scout enemy lines before the rest of the military makes its move. We report back information that will be helpful in our forces' victory. We literally work on the front lines. If not for us our forces would go into most fights blind. We call ourselves the Scouts Regiment."

"That sounds... dangerous," I say. "Important, but dangerous."

"It is. My squad is only five strong, and we scout installations with hundreds, sometimes thousands of troops. It's dangerous, but it needs to be done. That is why I am confused as to why Erwin sent you here. It takes a lot of specialized training to get a soldier ready for the kind of work we do."

I frown in determination. What Levi and his squad does scares me, especially thinking I'll have to go out and do it too, but I have this sudden need to show this intimidating man that I can do it. He's putting his faith in me, agreeing to spend a lot of time and energy to train me. I can do it. I have to do it. I'm ready to actually _be_ something other than my usual, messed up self. For some unexplainable reason, I want to make this ill-tempered, high-strung, unapproachable man proud of me.

* * *

><p><strong>I know that the court scene is inaccurate. Trust me, I'm a Criminology major, so I understand that everything that happened in the court scene with Eren's charges and sentencing is probably not legal, but that's just how it had to work out.<strong>

**This story is still a work in progress. I usually wait until the fic is finished before I start posting because for some reason I just love to go back and constantly change things. But this one is really long, and I wanted to start posting it, so here it is! I have a number of chapters already written and lined up, so updates will be regularly on Tuesdays (because I have another fic with updates on Fridays, and why not Tuesday?) until I catch up to what I have written. Hopefully the updates will remain regular after that, but I am a busy college student so I can't be sure of anything unfortunately.**

**Anywho, I'll stop rambling now. Thank you for reading the first chapter of this new story. Feel free to leave questions/comments/concerns/constructive criticism/whathaveyou, either here or on tumblr zoey04ereri. tumblr. com. You can also find me under the same pen name on AO3. That will be my primary fanfiction sight.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Yes! Dual POVs! I have a hard time sticking to one POV when I write, and this story is no exception. I can't guarantee that they'll alternate chapters, or even that there will only be one POV per chapter. We'll just have to see how this goes, and who speaks to me the loudest during each particular scene.**

**This chapter is pretty long, the longest one of the ones I have written so far. Just Eren being shown around his new home, building up to the good stuff. Enjoy!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 2: Levi<strong>

The boy gets this weird look of determination on his face and goes very quiet. Good. Hopefully that determined spirit will hold strong while I'm putting him through the ringer. I still don't understand why Erwin strapped me with him. He has absolutely no experience, no training, and Erwin knows that I only deal with the best. He thinks that my past is similar to the boy's, and he probably thinks that it'll allow me to better help Eren straighten out his life, but I can guarantee this boy's life is nothing like mine. He's a petty criminal. I was a hardened leader of a street gang. He lived on the streets for a year. I was born and raised in the filth of an underground hellhole, and wasn't plucked off the streets until I was twenty-four. I had to fight and kill in order to barely scrape by. He doesn't look like he could take out a ten year old. I had to hone my skills and train myself up to impossible standards in order to avoid being killed by the other thugs. I came into the military with a highly advanced skill set of my own, even if it wasn't military training. This kid knows absolutely fucking nothing.

Why couldn't the kid be sent to boot camp first, like all other recruits? Erwin must see me in this kid, because I didn't go to basic training either. I trained completely under Erwin, but he didn't have to start from the bottom up. He just shaped the skills I already had to fit into the military. And he only recruited me for a purpose. He only needed my help for one mission. He needed me and others with advanced stealth training to infiltrate an enemy and feed back information. But I found my calling, my purpose in life, and now here I am. The Scouts Regiment is still alive and well and is my blood, my breath, my life. And now I suppose it's time that I give back to this boy what Erwin gave me.

When we reach the base, Eren's eyes widen and he leans his head out the side of the car, holding onto the frame for support. I grab the back of his shirt and pull him back inside before his head gets taken off by a tree branch.

The base is nothing special, but Eren takes it all in just as he did on top of the mountain. I know the feeling though. I was the same. He's probably never seen the outside of whatever rat hole city he walked the streets of. The base appears small, but most of it is actually underground. Every above ground building is entirely encased in concrete, making it near impossible to be picked up by heat seeking radar and aircraft. Above ground there is a mess hall, an indoor obstacle training course, a gun range, the kennels, and a stone courtyard. The barracks, offices, garages, gyms, training facilities, security room, armory, medical wing, library, and classrooms are all underground.

Most of the soldiers stationed here spend their time outside in the courtyard or in the above ground mess hall, because it doesn't take a person long to get tired of the stuffiness of the air in the underground structures. Every breath you breathe feels recycled and reused. I think it's disgusting. Today is no exception, as I see a large congregation of partially uniformed soldiers lounging around in the courtyard with a handful of dogs, chatting, laughing, smoking, and gambling. Eren looks at everything as I bring the jeep around the side of the instillation towards the ramp that leads underground to the garage and equipment bay. The men and women in the courtyard stare at us- well, more accurately at Eren who is looking like a blind man who is seeing the world for the first time- as I drive past.

When the jeep approaches the ramp, a sensor in the front of the car allows the heavy bunker doors to slide open. They open quickly, and I don't even have to slow the jeep. When the car takes a dip down the ramp and the light is suddenly artificial and dim, Eren looks ahead in surprise and wonder. I drive the jeep into its parking spot among the handful of other jeeps and humvees. Eren slowly climbs out of the jeep as I pull the keys from the ignition. He walks over to one of the humvees, staring at the huge fully automatic machine gun perched on top. I grab the clipboard Erwin gave me with the kid's paperwork off the dash and climb out of the vehicle.

"Oi," I call after him, heading towards the door to the garage. "Stop drooling on our equipment, brat."

"Sorry, sir," he says, not really paying attention though as he looks around at the other vehicles in the garage. "Why are all these here? Do you use them often on this secluded mountain side?"

"The humvees, and the jeeps for that matter, belong to the two other groups stationed here, and they travel with them in cargo planes when they are deployed. My squad has no need for equipment like that. They're loud and destructive and they draw a lot of attention, which is the opposite of what we need. Our equipment is... different," I say, deciding not to tell him just yet about our means of mobility. That will be a test in and of itself. Not everyone can use this gear, so if he can't, he can't stay on my team, as it is vital to our operations.

He nods and only then does he follow me towards the door. I stand on my tiptoes to lean my chest closer to the wall beside the door, aligning the pass key in my breast pocket with the sensor in the door. There is a beep followed by the click of heavy duty locks disengaging, and the door pops open. I push it open the rest of the way and gesture for Eren to enter before me.

"Until you get your pass key, you will need to stay with me, or someone else who has a key card, at all times. Every door in this installment requires a pass key to open with the exception of the barrack rooms and bathroom," I explain to him. We pass the two privates stationed at the door to the garage, and they salute to me as I pass. "Some doors, such as these, the doors to the armory, and the doors to the security room, are also guarded by privates, so you would also need your ID to enter. They check everyone's. Even mine, and even Erwin's."

He nods, but he's looking around the dimly lit halls in amazement, and I have a feeling I'll have to explain all of this to him again later. We walk down the long concrete hallway from the garage towards the rest of the installment. I point everything out to him as we pass, then take him down to the fourth floor. I explain to him that we had been on the second floor, and that the floors increase in number the further down we go, the first floor being the only above ground floor.

On the fourth and bottom most floor is where the barracks and offices are. There are usually anywhere from fifty to seventy-five soldiers that lives on this base, and the barracks are divided into forty rooms with two bunks each. Right now there are only about sixty soldiers stationed at this base, leaving ten empty rooms. I show Eren to one of these unoccupied room, feeling that it would be best if he remain separated from the others for now, at least until he's finished his basic training with me and officially becomes a part of my squad. I give him the last barrack before the officer quarters and offices begin. There are five of these, although only three are ever permanently in use. Commander Erwin uses one occasionally when he stops by to assist or observe. Mine is the last one, and it has been my primary home for over nine years, ever since I became a Captain at the ripe young age of twenty-five.

I give Eren a few minutes to check out his new accommodations as I walk a little ways down the hall to my quarters. I push open my door and walk inside the perfectly clean room. The officer barracks are much bigger than the others because they double as offices as well. On the left half of the room sits my desk and two chairs in front of it, a filing cabinet, and a large bookshelf. On the right half is my bed, a nightstand, a small dresser, and a closet. I place the clipboard on my desk, then discard my uniform jacket and hang it in the closet. I hate this monkey suit. If I leave the base and it's not for a mission, I have to wear my formal Marine Corp officer uniform. It's really just a show, so that I appear to be nothing more than an ordinary military captain, and so nobody suspects that my squad is something different. My actual uniform is the same as the rest of my squads' and is styled especially to fit around our equipment. We're only allowed to wear them at the base and on operations.

Left in only my blue slacks, grey button down, and my white cravat that I also wear with my standard uniform, I leave my quarters and head back out to find the kid. He had left the door to his room open, so I stand in the doorway, my hands folded behind my back. He's sitting on the bed, on hand absent-mindedly stroking the blankets, while he looks around the small, undecorated room.

"I know it's not much, but welcome to the Marines," I tell him, not a hint of humor in my tone.

"Are you kidding? I had almost forgotten what it was like to sleep in a bed," he says with a grin. Then he gestures to the bed across the small room from him. "Do I have a roommate?"

"No. You will have this room to yourself until your training becomes advanced enough that you... fit in," I say, deciding that is the best word to use. "Then I will transfer you to another room."

He nods with a big smile on his cheeky face. I roll my eyes at him and, out of the corner of my eye, I see a private walking down the hall, most likely heading to his own barracks. He's about the same size as Eren, so I call for him to come over.

"Yes, Captain?" he asks, standing at attention in front of me.

"I need to borrow one of your shirts. Just for today. You'll get it back tonight," I explain to him. Eren's shirt and sweatshirt are torn and absolutely disgusting. I can't believe he's sitting on his clean bed in them. At least now he'll have a clean and intact shirt to wear until tonight when he gets his own uniforms.

The private returns after a few moments and hands me a deep green T-shirt with USMC written across the chest in big black letters. I toss it to Eren and he turns his back to me before removing his sweatshirt and shirt. He definitely didn't live on the streets long or with other people. You tend to lose your modesty very quickly when you do. He pulls on the clean shirt and follows me down the hall towards the stairwell.

"Someone will be by tonight to bring you your uniforms. You get a couple of trainee and casual dress shirts, shorts, and tank tops, as well as two sets of standard Marine Corps fatigues and a dress uniform. You will get your squad uniform once I decide if you'll be staying on my squad or not," I tell him.

"Yes, sir," he replies.

I take him to the second floor and down the hall to our small medical wing. We don't deal with anything serious here. Anyone returning from deployment with serious injuries are transferred to other bases with advanced medical facilities. Here, we are only really equipped to deal with minor training injuries and field injuries. Anything worse than a broken bone has to be treated elsewhere. I take Eren here because, before I start any training with him, I want our doctor to perform a physical.

"The infirmary?" Eren questions, reading the sign next to the double doors. "Why are we here?"

"Normally those seeking to enlist in the military need to have a physical done before hand. I'm not making exceptions with you. Our resident doctor, Hanji Zoe, will perform a physical just so I don't accidentally kill you during training."

I can feel him staring at me in worry as I buzz us into the wing, but I don't say anything else. The eccentric doctor is sitting at her desk, reviewing some sort of paperwork when we enter. She looks up, then leaps out of her chair.

"Levi!" she exclaims, sidling up beside me and tousling my hair like one would a child. I cringe and pull away from her, fixing my hair. "You never come visit me anymore! Who's your friend?"

"He's a new recruit. Eren Jaeger," I answer, still glaring at her. "Without getting into too much detail, he hasn't had a physical yet, and I need one before I can proceed with his training."

"You are training a new recruit all by yourself?" she asks in surprise, gesturing for Eren to hop up onto one of the beds as she pulls on a pair of latex gloves.

"Erwin thought it best that I train him, I guess," I reply, leaning against the wall and crossing my arms over my chest.

"Sounds interesting... You must share these details with me sometime, short-stuff."

I shoot her another glare and Eren looks between the two of us in confusion. "Don't pick up any of her disrespectful habits, Jaeger. You won't get away with it the way she does," I say, and he nods sharply.

Hanji pokes and prods him while asking him basic questions about his workout and diet habits. His answers are slightly disappointing, but he did just get off the streets, so I can't really blame him. She asks him other such questions about allergies and if he's had any problems with persistent pains. She asks him about headache problems and issues with heart conditions in his family, which he is unable to answer. I don't pay too close attention to them, knowing that I'll have her report by tomorrow morning, but when she asks about drug and alcohol problems, his hesitation catches my attention.

"I've experimented," he says. That was a lie. I can see it in his deep green eyes. Hanji goes to mark his answer down on her clipboard, but I take a step forward and grab her wrist to keep her from writing anything.

"Don't lie, brat," I tell him. "Lying during a physical will get you killed."

He frowns, glancing up at me through his bangs, then exhales sharply. "Okay, so I am a bit of a heavy drinker."

"Describe heavy," Hanji presses.

"Whenever I could get my hands on it. Mostly beer. Not every day, but usually six-packs at a time. Sometimes harder stuff like vodka," he tells her, and I can tell that he feels slightly ashamed of it. Good. That means he's one step closer to straightening out.

"When did you last drink and how much?"

"I don't know. A few of days ago? Four, I think," he replies. "And it was a full six-pack."

"And what else? Drugs?" she asks as she makes a note on her clipboard.

He hesitates before answering. "I was hooked on meth for about six months, but I kicked that habit cold turkey over three years ago. I've smoked pot too, but not habitually and not for a couple of years."

Hanji frowns and scratches something into her notes. "I'll administer a drug test, but it'll take about two weeks to get the results back," she tells me.

I shake my head. "I'm starting his training tomorrow."

"Well, if what he's saying is true-"

"I'm not lying," Eren interrupts her. "Give me the cup. You'll see."

"I don't need you to pee in a cup," Hanji tells him. She picks up a pair of tweezers and suddenly yanks a few hairs from Eren's head. Eren yelps and presses a hand to his head. "Your hair will show an accurate drug history for the last about six months. That's as far back as we need to go. But as I was saying, if what he says is true, and based on my other observations, he should be okay to start training. The only problem could be the alcohol. It's definitely out of his system by now, but you need to make sure he stays hydrated, and if he was an alcoholic, you need to worry about withdrawal symptoms. After four days I wouldn't expect many complications, but you should still keep an eye out for shakiness, anxiety, or DTs."

"I'm not an alcoholic," Eren retorts. "I just drank a lot. But I'm ready to put that behind me. I have no desire to drink anymore. An alcoholic that hasn't drank anything in four days wouldn't be saying that, would they?"

"Shut the fuck up and listen to the doctor. She went to medical school. You didn't," I snap at him.

Eren doesn't reply, frowning down at his feet. I can tell he's embarrassed, and I try not to judge him so quickly. I never got into drugs or alcohol on the streets, mostly because they are hard to come by when you have no money, and I could never afford to be drunk or high. I'd end up dead. But I understand the desire to want to forget all my problems by drowning them in booze.

"Are you done with him, Hanji?" I ask her, moving towards the door.

"Yup, all done," she smiles, pulling off her latex gloves. "Don't be a stranger, short-stuff. Come visit more often."

"I'd visit more often if you'd stop calling me that," I growl, pushing the door open.

She laughs, and it's cut short by the doors closing behind me as Eren and I make out way down the hallway. When we get to the ground floor, stepping into the bright mess hall, Eren pats his pockets then pulls out his pack of cigarettes and a lighter. "Is it okay if I..."

I grimace. "Yes, just stay away from me while you do it. And smoking is only permitted outside," I tell him, gesturing to the doors. "Take the rest of the day to settle in. Your training begins tomorrow at-"

"Eren?!" a female voice exclaims from behind us.

I turn to see one of the privates, a female with short black hair and dark eyes, running towards us. Eren stares at her wide eyed as she throws herself into his arms. I know every soldier stationed here- being a Captain, I have to- and I try to put a name to her face.

"Mikasa?" he breathes. That's right. How could I forget? Private Ackerman. I've always sort of wondered if there was any relation to the fucker that attempted to raise me on the streets. "What are you doing here? Are you on Captain Levi's squad?"

"No, are you?!" she gasps in disbelief, pulling back only far enough to look him in the eyes. "I didn't know you joined the Marines! How long ago? When did you complete your basics? How in the hell did you get into Captain Levi's squad? I've wanted to join but I'm too afraid to try because it's so intense." She shoots a nervous glance at me as she says this, before looking back at Eren.

"Well... it's kind of a long story," he says, rubbing the back of his neck. So whoever this girl is, he doesn't want her to know that he's here because the court sent him here in lieu of a federal prison sentence.

"I have time," she says. "My squad is off until morning routine tomorrow."

"I will tell you some time. But for now I need to get things... straightened out first," he says, looking over at me as he does.

I nod. "Your training will begin at o' seven hundred tomorrow morning," I tell him, turning my back and heading towards the above ground training course. "Be ready to work."

"Yes, Captain," he replies.

As I leave the mess hall and cross the yard to the training course, I look back over my shoulder. Eren sits down on a bench with Mikasa, lighting a cigarette and taking a long drag. They seem comfortable, and I make a note to ask the status of their relationship. If they are or were in an intimate relationship, I'll have to transfer her out, since I can't get rid of Eren. We have strict rules, especially amongst these three highly elite squads, that intimate relationships are prohibited. They distract soldiers, and a distracted soldier is a dead solider. But, is that the only reason I want to know the extent of their relationship? I shake my head. Where did that thought even come from? Of course that's the only reason. Intimate relationships aren't allowed when those involved work close with each other. They aren't on the same squad, but they are at the same base.

Putting Eren from my mind, I push open the heavy metal doors of the training course. It has a few narrow windows way up near the ceiling that let in a little bit of natural light, but most of the light in the room comes from the hanging florescent lights, one of which won't stop flickering. I might end up shooting it before I leave.

My squad is in the middle of an exercise when I enter. My squad being what it is, we train mostly in stealth and surveying tactics. We are heavily trained in weaponry and hand-to-hand combat as well considering it isn't uncommon for us to end up in sticky situations, but stealth is at the core of our training. The exercise my squad is running now involves an alarm attached to a thermal imaging camera. My squad crawls, ducks, and sneaks through obstacles and fake plant life in order to reach and disarm the alarm while trying to avoid detection by the thermal imaging camera. It's a simple but useful training exercise.

My second in command, Eld, has only one camera set up now. When I left to go pick Eren up, I told him to run this exercise until I returned, but I guess I should've specified the number of cameras he needed to use. There is never just one enemy. They always patrol in at least pairs, if not larger groups.

They don't seem to notice my arrival, so I grab a specialized handgun from the wall. It is the exact shape, size, and weight of a real handgun, and has the same kick, trigger resistance, and accuracy. The only difference is it has been modified to shoot paintballs instead of bullets. I check the magazine to see that it is still half full of red paintballs. Raising the gun, I fire off four shots, one immediately after the other. I hit a shoulder, a knee, a temple, and a side, and all four members of my team startle, jumping to their feet and triggering the annoying beep of the alarm.

"You forgot about the enemy's fucking partner," I snap at them as I head towards the device to shut off the alarm. "And now he's taken you all out. Oluo is dead, Gunther is bleeding into his lungs, Petra can't walk, and Eld's weapon arm is out of commission."

The four of them just stand there, their weapons drawn instinctively, looking from one to the other at the red paint coloring their fatigues. I dry wash my face and grab two more thermal imaging cameras from the supply closet in the corner. Eld and Gunther set them up in other positions around the course while I hang the paintball gun back on its rungs.

"How many times do I set this exercise up with only one camera?" I question Eld.

"Only for rookies, Captain," he replies, hooking up his camera to the alarm.

"And are you rookies?" I retort back, the question directed at all of them.

"No, sir," they all reply in unison.

"Once you finish running the course again, I want all of you to take ten laps around the compound," I instruct.

"Yes, sir," is the chorus of replies I receive.

My squad runs it again, and their remarkable training and my verbal harassment as they run it have them finishing the course quickly and without incident. Once they finish, they hurry out the door to complete their laps. I clean up the room, then look around the room, trying to figure out where to start with Eren's training. I've never received a recruit that has absolutely zero training. It goes against protocol, throwing a recruit at me that hasn't passed basics. All of the recruits I've ever worked with had basic training and at least three years military experience, and usually some special ops experience on top of that. When they came into my squad, I just had to train them to meet our specialized standards. But now I have to train a recruit from scratch.

I think back to a long, long time ago it seems, over ten years ago, when Erwin took me off the streets and trained me personally. I've never been to basic training either, so it's not even like I can use those methods and replicate them here with Eren. I can't even really mimic the training I received from Erwin. I already knew a thing or two about fighting and surviving. I could almost take him down even before he ever started to hone my skills. From what little I know, Eren's experiences are almost too different to even be compared to mine. He said he's only been on the street for over a year, and it was while he was an adult. He didn't grow up on the streets. I'm not diminishing his bad luck in life. I of all people understand the hardship of living on the streets, for any stretch of time. But the fact of the matter is, Eren knows nothing. His life experiences haven't given me anything at all to work with. We'll have to start with the basics, something I've never been trained in military standards. The way I learned the basics is dangerous and would probably get me discharged if I were to teach him using those, or even similar methods.

When my squad returns, I dismiss them for the night. I pull back the sleeve of my shirt to look at my watch. Ten 'til seven. The mess hall is going to open up soon for dinner, and something will be brought down to my office for me. Leaving the training room, I head back towards the mess hall. Eren isn't on the bench he had been on earlier. A small part of me wonders where he could've gone, but I don't worry over it. We're all alone up here. There's nowhere he can run to, so he wouldn't try to escape if he were smart.

I make my way through the mess hall and stairwells and hallways until I get to my quarters. Leaving my room open, I pick up the clipboard Erwin had given me and sit down at my desk. I lean back in the chair and skim the papers. There is a high school transcript- which shows grades much better than I would've expected-, a copy of his graduation certificate, a list of all previous residences including an entry labeled 'homeless', a detailed history report, a rap sheet, a court order declaring him to be property of the Marine Corps, and a personal evaluation from Erwin. I find it odd that there is nothing in here about his family. Usually there is at least a little bit of information on the parents. We need to know if they are in collaboration with other countries and terrorist organizations. But there is nothing here. Eren said his mother died and his father left when he was thirteen. So he knew his parents. Maybe Erwin forgot to include it, or maybe he lost it. But there is something about the last name Jaeger that rings a bell with me. His mother died nine years ago and his father left... Whatever, it doesn't matter. I look over the rest of Eren's paperwork, trying to look for things that will help me train him. But it's all useless. There is absolutely nothing to go by. I toss the clipboard back onto my desk. I have a feeling I'm going to hate Erwin by the end of this.

...

At half past six the next morning, I'm walking back into my quarters, sweaty and energized from my morning workout and run. I pull off my damp tank top and toss it into the laundry basket. Grabbing a clean pair of sweats, I head to the bathroom to take a five minute shower. Dressed in only my sweatpants, I'm making my way back to my quarters towel drying my hair when I see Petra step out of the girl's bathroom. She too has a towel and is drying her hair.

"Good morning, Captain. What's on the agenda for today?" she asks, stopping in the hallway to face me.

"Eld will be running morning routine today," I tell her. "I'm working with a new recruit."

"Really? Was it that kid you had to go pick up yesterday? I didn't realize he was going to be in our squad. He looks like a rookie."

"He is," I reply, letting my frustration show in my tone. "No military training at all, which is why I'm working with him one-on-one this morning, and for the foreseeable future."

"Why is he in our squad if he has no training?" she questions in confusion.

"Erwin thinks I'm the best person to train him. We'll see though. He might not be here long."

"Alright then. If you need any help, I'd gladly assist in his training," she offers, continuing toward her room.

"Actually, Petra," I call after her. "I'm giving him the test this morning. I'll need your help."

"Of course! I'll let Eld know that I'll be helping you, then I'll meet you there." With that, she hurries into her room to get ready for the day.

Back in my quarters, I hang up my towel and pull off my sweatpants. Opening my closet, I pull out my Scouts Regiment uniform. I feel so much more comfortable in this than I do in my standard Marine Corps fatigues. The white pants are more form fitting and don't flap around on my legs, and are also held in place by my knee-tall, brown military boots. I pull on my simple light grey button down and my white cravat. The jacket is only a half-jacket to allow the use of our specialized gear. That is also what the full-body harness is for. I secure the buckles and straps, then slip on the jacket. I leave the deep green hooded cloak on the hanger though. We only wear those when we're deployed or if it's raining, which, up here, is not uncommon.

Nowhere on the uniform does it say Marine Corps, or the United States of America. It has no seals, no decorations, no rank symbols. Because of the nature of my squad, the United States does not publically recognize us as a part of their military when our boots are on foreign soil. I didn't tell this to the boy yesterday because until he officially becomes a member of my squad, he can't know. We can't afford him getting kicked out and then blabbing to everyone who will listen. Although most of what we do is reconnaissance, we are also tasked with infiltrating and eliminating threats. Some of these threats are people of power in whichever country they're from, and the United States cannot be tied to their assassinations. That is when we get called in. The only identifying marker on the uniform is our Wings of Freedom insignia emblazoned on the back of our cloaks and jackets.

Straightening my jacket, I then pull out my lockbox from the closet. Taking out my two military issue Beretta M9 handguns, I check the safeties and slip them into the holsters attached to my body harness under my arms, half hidden by my jacket. I then take out my Ka-Bar and slide it into the sheathe on the back of my belt above where my gear attaches. I feel much more secure with my weapons. It comes from living my entire life on the streets. Weapons were as necessary as breathing there and to this day I still feel so vulnerable without them.

Now I need to figure out where the hell I'm going to even start with that brat's training. Normally, anyone who wishes to join my squad must pass a balance test using our specialized devices before I can even consider giving them a spot. But to pass this test, one needs to be very muscularly toned. It requires a very fit physique in order to use it. I have no idea of Eren's strength or sense of balance, but we'll have to try it anyway. Erwin said that he'll be back in a week to check on Eren's progress. So even if he fails the test today, I have a week to work with him using muscle building and balance exercises. If he can't pass before Erwin gets here, then Eren's leaving with the commander.

Checking my watch, I see that it is nearly seven. Grabbing the case my spare body harness is neatly folded into, I leave my quarters and head towards Eren's room a few doors down. He's a little taller than me, so I'll have to make some adjustments on the harness, but for now it will work. If he passes the test and stays in my squad, I'll have one made for him. I knock loudly on Eren's door and take a step back, waiting for him to answer.

The door opens a minute later and Eren is standing there, adjusting his belt. He is dressed in his standard fatigues, the camouflage cargo pants and dark green tank with the black initials USMC. I have to admit, now that he's out of his grungy jeans and sweatshirt and in military clothing, I have more confidence that he'll do well here. He looks like he belongs here. He actually looks... good.

He has a goofy grin on his face as if he's excited. That won't last long. He looks me over, obviously wondering at my uniform. I decide not to explain it to him. Not yet at least. It'll make more sense after his test.

"Let's go," I tell him, heading down the hall to the stairwell.

"What's in the case?" he asks. "Does it have to do with my training? Is it a gun? What are we going to work on?"

"Everyone who wants to join my squad must pass a test before I will even consider them. You are going to take this test. If you don't pass it before Erwin returns in one week, you will be leaving with him to join someone else's squad," I tell him.

"What is the test?" he asks, following behind me.

"It's a test that will determine whether or not you'll be able to use my squad's specialized equipment. Not everyone can."

As we leave the compound, circling the main building and heading into the forest, Eren continues to follow behind me. I look at him over my shoulder. "Why are you walking behind me, brat? It feels like you're stalking me. It's weird. I don't like it."

"Sorry, Captain," he says, hurrying up to my side. "Where are we going?"

I don't answer him. We reach our destination, a small manmade clearing a few dozen yards behind the compound. Patchy grass grows around three tall metal posts that jut out of the ground at an angle toward each other. They meet in the middle, and attached to them is a pulley system with two cables hanging down towards the ground. Eren looks it over in confusion. He plays with the crank on the back pole.

"What does this do?" he asks.

"This is the test," I tell him. "It tests your ability to maintain balance and mobility while using three-dimensional maneuvering gear."

"The what gear?" he questions, still looking over the contraption.

"Is this the new kid?" Petra suddenly asks from behind us. She's dressed in her squad uniform and is carrying one of the maneuvering gear cases. When she sets it down next to one of the poles, I see my name on the side of it. She turns to Eren and extends a hand. "He's a cutie. I'm Petra Ral. I'm a part of the Scouts Regiment."

Eren takes her hand. "Eren Jaeger."

"It's nice to meet you, Eren," she smiles. "I hope you pass this test so that you can join our squad. If you ever need anything, and this sourpuss won't help you, don't hesitate to ask me."

"Petra," I snap at her.

"Oops, sorry Captain," she says, but then winks at Eren.

I roll my eyes and open the smaller case that I brought. I pull out the body harness and hand it to Eren. "Put this on," I tell him, then turn to Petra. "Why did you bring my maneuvering gear?"

"I thought he could use a demonstration, and you are the best, Captain," she says.

"Kissing my ass won't get you anywhere," I tell her.

"Am I doing this right?" Eren asks.

I turn to see him with his leg caught in one strap, his arm caught in another, and the whole thing is upside down. I startle and hurry to grab his arm before he snaps the straining straps. The harness is designed to handle a great amount of force, but only when it's on right and has limbs to keep it in form. Petra giggles as she helps me get Eren out of the harness and get it back on correctly. She then leads him over to the poles.

"Petra, why don't you show him how this works," I say.

"Yes, sir!" she salutes, then stands between the two posts.

I hook the two cables to either side of her belt, then move towards the crank on the back post. Eren stands a few feet in front of Petra as I turn the crank and slowly lift her off her feet. She hovers in the air perfectly, not a single wobble. She even does a quick flip. She's in perfect balance and control. But she's been on my squad for nearly a year and has successfully completed many missions. I lower her back to the ground and help unhook her.

"Okay, brat. The key to this test is balance and strength. You need to be able to maintain a precise balance, and that demands a high level of strength in your core and legs. Even the slightest miscalculation and you won't be able to keep yourself upright," I explain to him as I hook him into the cables.

"Don't over think it," Petra adds. "It's all about feeling how you balance in the straps. Once you get the hang of it, it comes as naturally as breathing."

"They say the same thing about driving a stick shift," Eren says, looking down at his belt with a worried expression. "But I never did manage to get the hang of that..."

"You don't know how to drive a manual car?" I questions.

"Nope," he replies, then quickly adds, "Captain."

I exhale sharply, adding that to the infinitely long list of things I need to teach him. I put that aside for now though as Petra starts to turn the crank. The cables attached to his belt go taunt, then he's off the ground.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Eren**

I feel the cables go taunt at my sides and my weight is lifted off my feet. My heart is racing and I hold my breath as my feet leave the ground. It's an awkward feeling, being lifted off the ground by two small points on my hips, but I immediately understand what Petra meant when she said not to over think it. My legs and core naturally tense and adjust, trying to keep my body upright. But the feeling is too strange, too new, and suddenly I'm falling face first towards the ground. I put out my hands to catch myself, keeping my head from hitting the ground.

Damn it! I was probably only upright for a fraction of a second. It all happened so fast. I slam my fist into the ground with a loud curse as Petra lowers me down until my knees are resting on the ground. What does this mean then? Is Levi going to kick me out of his squad? He said I have a week to pass it before Erwin comes back to the base, but how many chances do I really get? I bet everyone on his team passed the test on their first try. Hell, Petra looked so natural hanging in this contraption. They probably trained and prepared for this test. They probably knew about it and how to practice for it long before they took it. And they all have previous military training and experience. What the hell am I even doing here? Do I really belong here? No, I don't.

But I don't want to leave. Levi, from the moment I first met the shorter man on the plane, has intrigued me. He's so cold and unapproachable. What made him like that? I remember Erwin telling me that Levi was the best equipped to straighten me out. Why is that? Levi didn't seem to be very happy that Erwin gave him a new, untrained recruit, so I guess this doesn't happen often. Then is it because he knows how to deal with trouble makers? Was he one himself when he was younger? There is so much mystery surrounding my captain, and I find that I want to stick around and figure him out.

I hear Levi sigh and I grit my teeth. I need to try again. I can do it, I know I can. I need to pass this test! Petra kneels beside me to unhook me from the cables, but I brush her away, looking up at Levi. He's regarding me with those cool, grey eyes, his face completely unreadable. His arms are crossed over his chest. Is he disappointed in me? Shit. I don't like that feeling. I don't want him disappointed in me. I need to prove myself to him. I need him to know that I will do whatever it takes to make him happy and to show him I am worthy of being on his squad. And, I can't go to federal lockup. I won't last a week in prison. I quickly get to my feet.

"Let me try again. Now that I know how it feels, now that I know what to expect, I'll be able to do it this time," I ask of him, clenching my fists at my sides.

"You're not strong enough," he says, his voice not giving anything away either. It's so flat and dismissive. "You haven't developed the core and leg strength required to pass this test. You have no physical training."

"Please just let me try one more time," I beg him. I need another chance. I know I have a week to figure this damn test out, but I need one more try right now. I need to show him that I am determined enough to do this. "Please, Captain."

He just stares at me for a long moment, and I stare right back. After a tense minute, he finally nods and I let out the breath I hadn't been aware I was holding. I step back into position, and wait for Petra to raise the cables. This time, I focus on my legs and core, trying to feel where the straps pull and press against my body. The cables lift me up onto my toes, and as my feet leave the ground, I focus on balancing. It's like walking a tightrope. The line between balance and unbalance is so thin, so hard to find. I manage to hold onto that balance for what feels like two solid seconds before it slips out from under me and I fall backwards.

I exhale sharply, dry washing my face as I hang there, upside down. Petra lowers me back onto the ground, and I lay there on my back, my hands covering my face. I did better that time, and I know after a week of training and building my muscle tone, I'll be able to do it, but that doesn't change the fact that I failed now.

"You did well for not having any prior training," Levi's hesitant voice suddenly says, and I remove my hands from my face. "You did better than I expected."

"Really?" I question in confusion.

"Yeah, you did great, Eren!" Petra agrees, unclipping me from the cables and helping me to my feet. "You'll be able to do it without a hitch by the end of the week."

I nod. Her words, along with Levi's, give me a little bit of hope. They don't see me as a failure. I'll prove them right. I'll show them that I'm not a failure. I'm a fighter. I always have been. "What does this test even prove?" I ask, my residual frustration, as well as a burning curiosity, taking control of my mouth. "What is three-dimensional maneuvering gear and why do I need to learn to hang from cables in order to use it?"

"I was hoping you'd ask that!" Petra giggles. "Now you _have_ to give him a demonstration, Captain."

That sounds interesting. I'd actually like to see Levi use whatever this fancy gear is. Erwin said that he is humanity's strongest soldier, and he wouldn't be captain of this elite squad if his skills with this gear wasn't impressive, right? I want to see what my captain is capable of.

"I don't _have _to do anything," Levi retorts, but then exhales and waves a dismissive hand at me. "Go take a lap around the compound," he says.

Well that's disappointing... With a frown, I nod and turn to jog off toward the compound. It's still early in the morning, but there are a few small groups of soldiers in the courtyard and scattered around the compound, going through morning exercises. I see one group rounding the corner of the base. A flick of a red scarf catches my eye and I speed up so that I can fall into step beside Mikasa.

"Eren, what are you doing?" she hisses, not looking at me. "Don't let Captain Mike see you or he'll boot you out and make a complaint to Captain Levi."

"He didn't even see me," I murmur back. The tall blonde at the front of the group continues to lead the small group around the installation. "Levi told me to take a lap, so I thought I'd join you."

"Captain Levi," she corrects me quickly. "Always use their titles, especially when you're around other officers. Where did you go to boot camp? They obviously didn't teach you anything."

I keep quiet. I didn't tell her anything yesterday, and I'm not going to tell her anything now. Mikasa has always been very protective over me, trying to shield me from the world. When she was around, I didn't get into trouble as much. I don't want her to know that, because she left, I got into some more hardcore things and that I'm only here because a judge sentenced me to military service instead of hard time in a federal prison. She would flip out on me. And she'd probably feel guilty for leaving. I was hurt when she did, but I understand. Where we're from, the only way out is by excelling in school and managing to get into an out of state college, which most students didn't because our school system sucked, or by enlisting in the military, which most students did. Mikasa probably could've gotten into college, but she wanted to help people and make a difference. She always talked about it. This is where she belongs, and I can't hate her for it, even if I did feel abandoned.

"Sorry. Slip of the tongue," I tell her. We're quiet as we round the installation, passing by the dog kennels where privates are preparing the huge dogs for the next shift. "How well do you know Captain Levi?"

The question comes out of my mouth without me even thinking about it. I hadn't meant to ask that, but I can't stop thinking about the intriguing, mysterious man. She looks at me with a quirked eyebrow, confused by the sudden question, but she answers anyway. "I don't. I've never exchanged more than a handful of words with him. He too unapproachable and very kept to himself. If he's not working with his squad out here, he's locked up with them in a training room, or he's in his quarters. He even has his food taken down to his room. He doesn't talk to people unless it's necessary. His squad is like that too for the most part. They're some super confidential, top secret group, even more so than Captain Mike or Dita's squads, and they definitely act like it. I don't think a single person here other than those five knows what that squad does. It's kind of bizarre. Maybe they're secretly CIA or something," she muses aloud.

So Erwin wasn't joking when he told me that very few people know what Levi's squad does. Mikasa lives up here on this mountain in close quarters with Levi and his squad, and even she doesn't know. And it would appear that Levi is just as secretive as his squad is.

When we get back around to the back of the compound, I split off from the group, running towards the clearing where I left Levi and Petra. Hopefully they're still there. But when I get to the clearing with the maneuvering gear testing equipment, Petra is the only one there. She's leaning against one of the poles, looking off into the trees. The large case she had brought with her is sitting, open and empty, by her left leg.

"Where is the captain?" I ask her.

She just smiles, and suddenly a blur whips around behind me, disappearing as fast as it had appeared. I literally jump, spinning around and scrambling backward. An embarrassing shriek leaves my lips, but I'm too startled to care at the moment. I trip over my own feet and fall onto my ass on the packed dirt. I look frantically around, but don't see anything. My heart feels like it's about to punch through my ribcage. I can feel it beating in my ears and my whole body is buzzing. What the fuck...

Something drops out of the trees then, landing as gracefully as a cat right in front of me, two cables dropping and recoiling faster than I can blink. Levi stares down at me, his face still an emotionless mask, but I can see a glimmer of amusement deep in his grey eyes. They hold my eyes for what seems like a very long moment, but then I manage to break his gaze, looking down his body at the odd contraption strapped to his thighs and lower back.

On the small of his back sits two round things that I assume are the housings for the cables I saw just a moment ago. In between those is another round contraption that I can't even begin to guess the function of. On each of his upper thighs is a long canister, each with a black hose that connects to the round housings and the other contraption. The canisters are strapped to long metal boxes, each with four slots, something sticking out of each slot. In each hand is some sort of controller with two triggers on each and appear to have slots on top. They too are connected to the round housings by a thick black cord. It's nothing I've ever seen before, and it's a lot to comprehend. It looks like quite a complex contraption.

"Get up off your ass, brat," Levi says, taking a step back from me.

I quickly comply. Before I can ask, Petra steps forward and starts to explain.

"That is the three-dimensional maneuvering gear. This equipment allows us to move on a three dimensional playing field. By using cables and grappling hooks, as well as pressurized gas, we can move quickly and effortlessly above buildings, trees, etcetera. It's almost completely silent, and allows us to get right above the target before they even know we are there," she says. "Show him how it works, Captain."

Levi turns to face a tree to his right. "The top triggers on each grip fire the grappling hooks. You can fire both at once, or only one for more intricate maneuvers." He pulls both triggers and two thick black cables fly from his belt and imbed in the tree a few dozen feet above the ground. "The bottom two triggers control the release of the pressurized steam and, coupled with the fans in the housings and the retraction of the cables, will propel you forward." He squeezes both triggers and shoots forward towards the tree, twisting mid air to plant both feet on the trunk of the tree. He sits on the side of the tree for a moment, hanging by the cables, before he shoots his grappling hooks into another tree and flies around the small clearing, flipping and spinning before landing gracefully in front of me.

"That's..." I breathe, trying to make sense of my thoughts. "Incredible." Yeah, that's a good word for it.

"It is a great technological advancement, and it makes what we do that much easier," Petra chimes in, appearing very proud, as if she was the one that invented it.

"Why doesn't the entire military use this?" I question.

"Because for many military situations, it is not practical. It is useful for stealth and... other things," Levi tells me.

I'm not stupid. I know that isn't how he was going to end that sentence. What was he going to say? Good for stealth and what else? There's something they're not telling me... Do they think I can't handle it? I lived on the streets. I've done and witnessed some sketchy things. If he's talking about killing people or something, I've run across more than one dead hobo. Death doesn't bother me. Are they going to want me to kill people? In the military, people die, people get killed, and people kill, so I'd have to do it anyway even if I wasn't in Levi's squad, right?

Levi doesn't seem to realize that I noticed his slipup. He turns the handgrips, crossing them to the metal boxes on his legs. He slams them into the things protruding from the boxes and they connect with a click. When he pulls them back, two long blades are drawn with them. "These are our main weapons. This gear allows us to get close enough to a target fast enough that it counteracts the speed of a gun. We can get to them before they can fire on us," Levi explains, then sheathes the two blades and pulls a curved lever on the side of the handgrips. The blades release. "However, if a gun is needed, you can simply detach the blade and holster a handgrip in exchange for your service weapon." In a move that should be too fast to be possible, he slips his handgrips into the holsters on his sides below his guns and draws the two weapons. "Only do this when you get to solid ground, or with one hand while controlling the gear with the other. It's a lot to learn and it takes a lot of practice, but you'll get the hang of it."

I nod. I'm still a little confused on how the whole thing works, but if I pass the test, it'll be better explained to me. No, _when_ I pass the test. Because I _will_ pass the test. I have to. Levi holsters his guns and Petra steps up to him to help him remove the gear.

"There are three gyms on the third floor. The last one is marked 'Squad Levi'. I'll meet you there in ten," Levi tells me, an obvious dismissal.

"Yes, sir," I say, then head back to the compound, leaving Petra and Levi in the clearing.

So I guess we're beginning right away with my muscle building exercises. I wonder how intense it's going to be. I've never even been to a gym before, let alone go through military training. Hopefully it won't be too hard.

...

In the week that I've been at the base, I've learned one thing for certain: Levi is a sadist. I swear he's been sent from hell for the sole purpose of torturing me. I mean, it shouldn't even be humanly possible the things he's making me do. Every night, I crawl into bed with burning muscles, and in the mornings they're so stiff I literally have to roll myself out of bed. We spend all day in the gym, Levi putting me through rigorous exercises and into what are secretly medieval torture machines, all with the promise that they'll make me stronger and able to use the three-dimensional maneuvering gear. And every day I take the test. And every day I fail the test.

At the end of the week, the morning before Erwin is supposed to arrive, I'm feeling depressed and dejected. I didn't take the test at all yesterday because Levi didn't want me to. He wanted me working out all day, and he wanted me to wait until the morning. He still seems to have faith that I'll be able to pass it. Didn't he tell me that not everyone is capable of using the gear? What makes him think I'm someone who can? I've been taking the test for a week with no change, and now time is up. Erwin will be here this afternoon and if I don't pass the test this morning, I'll be leaving with him, never to see the mysterious captain again.

I'll also be leaving Mikasa. In the rare times I had gotten a break from Levi's sadistic torture, I would look for Mikasa and talk with her. We got caught up, although I still have yet to tell her the real reason why I'm here, and I have begun to feel like I'm reuniting with her. But now, it looks like I'll have to leave her. I haven't told her this either though. As far as she knows, I'm an actual member of Levi's team. It looks like I'll have to come clean with her today, before I leave.

At six thirty the morning, I wake with the rest of the base and get ready for my morning of torture. I don't know why Levi is still trying. Time is up. But last night he told me to be in the gym by seven, ready to work out. So I pull on my camouflage cargo pants and my green USMC tank top, my muscles stiff and nearly unresponsive, then make my way up a floor to the gym reserved for Levi's squad. The door is propped open, since I still don't have a pass key to get in yet, so Levi must already be here. I push the door open, but I hesitate in the doorway.

Levi is standing on top of the metal pull-up bar. He's in his full squad uniform, but his knee-tall boots are sitting on the ground next to the bar. He stands on the ball of his bare left foot, the other raised slightly above the bar, not touching it. His hands are folded neatly behind his back and his eyes are closed. He balances there perfectly, not wobbling, not holding out his arms for balance, nothing. I watch his legs and stomach, hidden beneath his uniform, watching for twitches or strains of balance correction. But I see nothing. He might as well be standing with both feet on solid ground for all the effort he's putting in.

"Oi," he suddenly says, not opening his eyes. "Are you going to stand there and stare or are you going to come in?"

"Sorry, Captain," I say quickly, stepping into the small room gym and closing the door behind me.

Levi opens his eyes then, lowering his right foot onto the bar. "I have come to realize that your problem isn't so much your lack of strength, but your lack of balance." He steps backwards, snagging the metal bar with his hands to stop his fall before dropping the rest of the way to the ground. "I have strengthened your legs and core as much as is possible in the limited amount of time that we had, so today we are going to work on balance."

"But, sir," I start to argue, eliciting a raised eyebrow from Levi. "Commander Erwin will be here tonight. What more can we do in only one day?"

"Have you given up, Eren?" he questions. "What happened to that determination I saw in your eyes the first time you took the test?"

"It's been a week and I'm no closer to passing the test than I was that day," I argue.

He walks up to me, getting right in my face, his grey eyes smoldering with intensity. I feel like I could get lost in those eyes. It'd be a lot more intimidating if he didn't have to look up to meet my eyes. "I've worked you this hard all week, neglecting my squad and my duties, because I admired the determination I saw in your eyes. I saw the heart, the spirit you had, and it led me to believe that you'd do whatever it took to pass this test. But perhaps I was wrong. Maybe you don't have what it takes to be here. So if you want to give up and leave with Erwin tonight, go ahead, I won't try to fucking stop you, because I don't have time for soldier wannabes that give up so easily."

He walks around me towards the doors, but I stop him, grabbing his arm. His words sting. They hurt somewhere deep inside me. They prickle at my pride. I don't want this man to think I am weak. I don't want him to look down on me. Well... figuratively... I don't know why, but I _need _this man's respect. That determination that had been nearly extinguished is now a roaring flame. I can't stand that look he give me. He's disappointed. He's upset that I wasted his time. He's disgusted that I'm giving up. No, I'm not going to give up. I still have one more day. I'll pass that test. I will. I have to.

He looks back at my hand on his arm, then up at my face, his grey eyes unreadable, as they always seem to be. I look him in those deep grey eyes, trying to tell him everything I can't say with my words. I want him to know how hard I'm willing to try, how hard I'm willing to work to prove to him that I have what it takes.

"I'm not giving up," I tell him, my voice firm.

A small, almost unnoticeable smile pulls at his lips, then he nods. I release his arm as he moves around me, back towards the pull-up bar. He gestures for me to follow him, and I do.

"Take off your boots and socks," he tells me, stepping beneath the bar.

He moves over to the far left side of the bar, then jumps, grabbing the metal. He swings his legs up, flipping over the top of the bar until he's right side up again, his hips resting against the bar. I find myself admiring how such an intense, hard man can move with such grace. It's actually quite mesmerizing, and I find myself really admiring the way he gracefully swings up onto the bar, planting his feet on the top of the bar and standing. He doesn't wobble once. His balance is astonishingly perfect. He looks down at me, still standing and staring up at him. I feel my cheeks burn slightly and concentrate on removing my combat boots.

"Get up here," he tells me.

I step up to the bar and jump. I manage to pull myself up onto the bar, not nearly as gracefully as Levi had, then put a foot on the cold metal, slowly standing. I wobble, swinging my arms, trying to stay on the bar. It's no use though, and I fall, catching the bar under my arms. My shoulders twinge as the muscles strain and the skin beneath my arms stings from the friction of rubbing against the bar. Frowning, I struggle to get back up onto the bar.

"Focus, brat," Levi says, looking down at me from where he is perched on the bar. He's relaxed, his arms crossed over his chest. How is this so easy for him? "Focus on your core, your body. Find your center and concentrate on it. Keep it above the bar. Feel the way your muscles naturally try to correct."

I nod as I slowly stand. I hold my arms out, wobbling and swaying as I try to find my balance. A hand clamps onto my shoulder, and I look over at Levi. His eyes, although still mostly unreadable, are softer. He believes that I can do it. How can he maintain his own balance while keeping me steady as well? This man truly is incredible. And we're just standing on top of a bar. I can't wait to see him in action overseas where it really counts.

I take a deep breath through my nose, letting it out slowly through my mouth, then I take another one. Levi removes his hand and I close my eyes, focusing on the bar beneath the balls of my feet. I feel the sore muscles of my core and legs tense and try to correct my imbalance. I don't fight them. I let my body do what it has to in order to stay on the bar.

"Very good," Levi says. "This isn't so different than the balance needed for the 3DMG. When you're in the cables, your center of gravity will shift from where it is now. You need to focus on where the cables connect to your belt. Here, you use your arms to balance yourself, but in the cables, you'll need to rely more heavily on your legs and core. I believe you have the strength, you just need to focus more on balancing than on muscling through it."

I nod, opening my eyes. Levi is watching me, his body relaxed. I keep wobbling and having to correct my balance. I guess perfect balance comes with however many years he's been using the 3DMG. That makes me wonder how long he's been on this squad. How long has he been in the military? Why is he the best officer to straighten me out? What made this short-statured, ill-tempered, unapproachable man humanity's strongest soldier? All those questions I've had buzzing around my head all week come back to me.

"How long have you been using the maneuvering gear?" I ask him.

"Ten years," he replies, looking away from me at a spot on the wall ahead of him.

Ten years? Wow... Now I wonder how old he is. He can't have come straight into this squad, right? So he must've been in the military a few years prior to that, I think... He doesn't look that old though...

"How long have you been the captain of this squad?"

"Nine years." He keeps his answer short, and doesn't elaborate. I have a feeling he doesn't want to talk about his past, yet he keeps answering my questions and they keep pushing past my lips.

"Why does Commander Erwin think you're the best person to train me?" I ask next. He might not even know the answer to that one, but I ask anyway. I wobble slightly and automatically adjust my weight to keep me balanced. I feel like I'm getting the hang of this pretty quickly.

"He thinks that our pasts are similar," he replies. "I read your file. They aren't."

"Oh... Then why-"

"I lived on the streets too," he cuts me off, looking over at me. His eyes are hard. "Are you done interrogating me now? Focus on the exercise."

I nod and its quiet for a minute. But then Levi speaks up again. "Since we're prying into each other's lives... what is your relationship with Private Ackerman?"

I startle, nearly completely losing my balance. After a solid minute of flailing and overcorrecting, I finally regain my balance and straighten. Looking over at Levi, I see that his eyes are still on me. He's waiting for my answer.

"Oh, well, she's like my sister," I tell him. At that answer, he actually looks slightly relieved. I wonder at that. Did he think we were romantically involved? Maybe there are rules about that? "We've been friends our whole lives. It was her parents that took me in when my mom died and my dad abandoned me. She looked out for me and tried to keep me out of trouble."

He just nods in response, staring at the wall in front of us. "Move to one foot."

I nod, slowly shifting my weight onto my right foot as he lifts his left foot off of the bar. He closes his eyes and folds his hands behind his back. He's done talking to me, but my mind is focusing back on the questions I had asked him. His short answers about his own life only raised more questions. Levi lived on the streets? How long? Is that why he's so unapproachable and ill-tempered? How did his experiences differ from mine that he thinks our pasts have nothing in common?

I lose my balance and it draws me from my thoughts, forcing me to focus. I put my left foot back on the bar and wave my arms in a circle, but that doesn't help. I lean forward, trying to correct, but it's too late and I jump from the bar, landing on my feet and rolling to take the force off of my legs. I flop onto my back, exhaling sharply.

"Oi, no napping," Levi snaps. "Get your ass back up here."

I sigh, dry washing my face before standing and climbing back onto the bar.

...

"You can do it this time, Eren," Petra encourages me as her and Gunther strap me into the cables of the testing device.

It's raining today. It was raining all day yesterday too, which might partially be the reason why Levi wouldn't let me take the test. But the rain is still coming down and now he doesn't have any choice. I have to take the test now.

Usually it's just me, Levi, and Petra when I take the test, but today, Levi's whole squad is here to watch, all of them getting soaked to the bone. Don't they have jackets with hoods on them? It's making me nervous. I've gotten to know the four of them pretty well since I've gotten here, but having so many eyes on me while I either make or break my career here is unnerving.

"Yeah, you can do it kid," Gunther says with a grin. "Don't think too hard."

"Oi, give the brat space," Levi snaps at them.

"Yeah guys, back off," Oluo mimics, making Petra roll her eyes at him.

Once I'm hooked in, the others back away, leaving Eld to man the crank. This is it. This will decide whether I stay here or whether I get shipped off to federal lockup. I want to stay here with Levi and Mikasa. I want to get to know Levi better, as well as the rest of his squad. Despite the brutally intense training and Levi's cold personality, I really like it here, and I really like Levi. When the judge first sentenced me, I was upset that I'd have to be here for an entire year, but now a year doesn't seem that bad. I might even volunteer to stay longer. That is, if I live through this first year. But I'll have to pass this test first.

"Focus, Eren," Levi's voice says quietly, trying to keep his words private. I watch the water drip from his soaked hair, down his forehead, along the ridge of his nose, to fall in droplets to the ground. It's mesmerizing. "Ignore them. Ignore the fact that Erwin will be here in an hour. This is just a standard exercise. This is just like this morning in the gym. Focus on the natural reactions of your core and legs, focus on that center of gravity. Concentrate." He hesitates, then says, "I believe you can do this. Don't prove me wrong."

I look him straight in his seemingly unemotional grey eyes and nod firmly, ignoring the water trying to blind me. "I won't, Captain."

Eld begins to raise me off the ground, the cables going taunt. I take a deep breath and close my eyes. I'm in the gym, on the metal pull-up bar, with my captain right by my side. This is just another exercise. We're simply training my sense of balance, like we've been doing all morning. I take another deep breath as my toes leave the ground. Holding my arms out, I feel where the straps of the body harness pull on my hips, around my thighs, and down to my feet. I feel where they go taunt, where they press into my skin. I feel the way my body sits in the harness, the natural twitches and shifts to keep me balanced on two fine points at my waist.

Suddenly, it all feels so easy. It's as if something finally clicked into place, and it feels completely... natural. I lower my arms and open my eyes. Petra applauds with an excited giggle, Eld gives me a thumbs up, and Gunther turns to Oluo with a muttered 'I knew he had what it takes'. When I look to my left at Levi, he looks relieved. He nods his head to me with a small smile on his lips. That look right there, that nod of approval, of acceptance, that's exactly what I needed. It makes the elated feeling coursing through my body ten times stronger. I did it, I finally did it, and now I've gained Levi's approval.

I let out a loud cheer, punching the air, causing me to rock in the cables. But I don't lose my balance. I've found it now, and nothing will make me lose it. I turn my face up to the sky, letting the rain patter against my face and the chilling winds freeze the water to my skin. I finally did it! I've passed this stupid test, and now I can stay on Levi's squad. I won't spend the next ten years in prison. I know there is a shit-eating grin on my face, but I can't get rid of it. I feel like I finally accomplished something. I feel like, for the first time in my life, like I've actually done something important, like I'll be _able_ to do something important. I've landed myself in a squad that makes victories for the United States possible. I'm turning myself around, and it feels so fucking good.

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><p><strong>I wasn't going to incorporate the 3DMG at all in this fic because it seems a little impractical for modern day warfare (and I know that they aren't exactly silent, but let's all just use our imagination here XD), but then I decided I had to, mostly because I love the 3DMG too much ._.<strong>


	4. Chapter 4

**Yay update time! The update is a little early today because finals are kicking my ass, and this was my only free time to post XP Better than waiting until tomorrow, yeah? :)**

**And thanks for all of the reviews and the follows/favorites guys. I love reading what you all think. :) Enjoy!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 4: Levi<strong>

What I never could tell the brat was that, even if he didn't pass the test today, I would've kept him here on my squad. I don't know why, but I have this deeply rooted desire to keep him here, and I can't explain or describe where it came from. I guess the boy intrigues me. He's grown on me. He had a shitty life growing up, something I can easily relate too, and it caused him to become an obnoxious, attention-seeking, rebellious, troublemaking kid, but it's not a side of him I've really seen. It's hard to believe the reports are true when all I seem to see is a determined young man with a lot of heart and spirit. I don't know why I wanted to keep him here, even if he failed. Being able to use the 3DMG is vital to our operations. He'd be worse than useless if he couldn't use the mobility gear. But now that he's passed the test, now that he's figured it out, I don't have to worry about that.

I wait, my arms crossed over my chest and impatiently tapping my foot, as I lean back against the frame of the jeep. The plane was due to land half an hour ago. I don't like being kept waiting. At least the rain has stopped, although the angry grey clouds in the sky threaten more rain. I reposition my formal uniform jacket more comfortably on my shoulders before crossing my arms again. I really do hate this thing, but it's protocol to receive higher ranking officers in formal attire. Eren sighs and I hear him shift in the passenger seat. I don't know Erwin's plans, whether he wants to check up on Eren and talk to him before continuing to his next destination, or if he just wants to talk to me, so I brought Eren along. This is a waste of time though. Eren could be going through an exercise right now instead of sitting on his ass. I look over my shoulder at him.

"Oi," I say, getting his attention. "Start doing push-ups."

He sighs and climbs out of the door-less jeep. "How many?" he asks.

"You can stop when he gets here," I tell him.

He grumbles something under his breath, but drops to his hands, falling straight into a push-up. I'll have to drill that attitude out of him. Now that he's about to officially become a member of my squad and of the Marine Corps, that attitude won't fly. He'll be expected to behave like any other private, and if he mouths off to the wrong person, I will be the one to get hell for it.

Luckily for the brat, the plane comes into view only a minute or two later, diving down towards the runway. I shrug off of the jeep, and Eren stands, but I snap at him to keep going. He drops back down into the mud as I make my way towards the lowering hatch of the cargo plane.

Erwin steps out of the plane and claps my shoulder. "How's he doing?" Erwin asks, cutting straight to the chase.

"He passed the test. He'll be able to operate in my squad," I tell him.

"Wonderful. How has his behavior been? Is he rebelling? I hope you aren't letting him get away with anything," he tells me.

"This week we've been focusing on training him for the test. But starting now, he will begin official military training," I reply. "His overall behavior has been satisfactory. He follows orders well and he is very... dedicated."

"That is good to hear. The court agreed with me when I presented that all he needed was a routine, and someone to step in and tell him how to live his life. He needs authority."

"I agree, but why did you fight for him?" I find myself asking. "Why did you volunteer to take him under your command? Why him?"

Erwin hesitates for a minute before answering. "He's Carla's son."

Carla? It's been a long time since I heard that name, and if brings back painful memories. "Of course. Carla Jaeger. I never connected their names, although I know now why his sounded so familiar."

Carla was a consultant with the United States military, and her husband, Grisha, was my squad's personal doctor. Carla was a hacker and she helped gain information that we could use against the enemy combatants. She was the one that suggested the Marines form a specialty squad in order to investigate what she found and to gleam additional information from the sources themselves. That was when Erwin found me and offered me a position in this new one-man squad. After a handful of very successful trial operations, he made the squad permanent and promoted me to Captain, giving me the power to bring on a handful of other soldiers. Carla was our backbone for the year I ran solo, and for about a year after the squad was made official. But during a run-in with a particularly brutal terrorist organization, she got too involved and they figured out her identity. She was savagely murdered on her way home from the Marine Corps communications office where she worked. The organization went under the radar after that, and we lost track of them. They haven't surfaced since. Grisha went insane after her death. He had a complete mental breakdown and disappeared. No one's heard from him since, and I've assumed for a while that he's dead.

"When I heard that her son was arrested and facing federal prison time, I felt we owed it to her to get him back on his feet. I'm not sure how she'd feel knowing her only son is now involved in your squad, but it was the only way I could save him."

I nod. I can't treat him any differently now that I know who Eren is, but I do find that I feel sorry for him. We never got even close to finding this group. My squads' boots never left the ground. She was the only one finding information on them, but she could never get very far. She just relayed what she found to me. But when she was killed, we were no closer to figuring out who this organization was. It's only speculation that she was killed by them. But with no leads, her murder went unsolved and I was unable to further pursue the organization.

"I will keep him safe. For Carla," I tell him, then look back towards the jeep. "Eren!"

"Yes, sir?" he calls, standing from his push-ups and jogging over to us. He's still wearing his fatigues and my spare body harness. I don't even try to hid the expression of revulsion when he wipes his muddy hands all over his pants. If he gets any mud on _my_ body harness... He and Erwin must not have seen my obvious expression of horror because neither say a word. Eren fidgets with one of the straps as he steps up in front of us. Erwin's eyes scans the boy, then he smiles.

"The look fits you," Erwin tells him. "I look forward to seeing you in your squad uniform."

"As do I, sir," Eren replies.

"How are you getting along? Are you regretting the decision you made in court?"

"Absolutely not, Commander," Eren replies immediately. Good. I'm glad that he doesn't resent me for the rigorous training I put him through this last week.

"Would you like to stay here in Captain Levi's squad? I will give you the opportunity to transfer to a standard basic training base if you would prefer. But that decision has to be made now. The offer is void when I leave."

"No," he says, nearly cutting him off. "I want to stay here. I like it here, and I feel like I could learn a lot from Captain Levi." My eyes widen a little in surprise and I look over at the kid. I guess I've made a better first impression on him that I thought I had. I don't know why, but I find that I'm glad he wants to stay here. "I would like to thank you for presenting me with this opportunity."

"You are welcome, Jaeger," Erwin replies with a slight smile. "You are dismissed. I need a few more words with Levi."

He nods, turning on his heels and jogging back to the jeep. I watch him as he hops into the passenger's seat and puts his muddy boots up on the dash. Does that shitty little brat seriously not understand how absolutely, repulsively disgusting that is?

"You can't tell him what I just told you. He can't know his mother was killed because she was involved with this squad," he tells me.

"Understood, and I agree," I say. "So that bullshit you tried to feed me about being the only one that can straighten him out because our pasts are similar-"

"I never insinuated that it was because your pasts are similar," he interrupts me. "They're not. I understand that. All I said, to either of you, was that you'd be the best person to straighten out his life and get him on the right track. You jumped to that conclusion on your own."

I quickly think back to the conversation I had with him about Eren. "So I have."

Erwin looks back up at Eren, sitting in the jeep, and the two of us are quite for a moment longer. "I think I will be staying here for a week," he tells me. "I'd like to observe Eren's training myself, if that is okay with you. I don't want to interfere."

"Do what you want," I tell him with a shrug, heading back to the jeep.

Erwin steps up into the plane to call to his pilot that he'll be staying at the base. I walk up to the jeep, and as I climb into the driver's side, I slam my boot into Eren's legs, forcing them off the dashboard.

"That is so disgusting," I growl at him with a grimace. "You're scrubbing this jeep, and your pants, clean when we get back to the base. Climb in the back. Commander Erwin is coming with us."

"The... but there isn't any room back there," he protests.

"You have arms. Move things," I retort. "Sorry brat, but you drew the short end of the rank stick. Commander beats Private every time."

He frowns and turns around in his seat, leaning over the top of the seats so he can slide bags and cases out of the way. He climbs over the seat and slides into the spot he cleared right behind me. He sits back against the back of the seat, his head nearly touching mine. Usually being in close proximity with someone like this bothers me, especially when they're behind me. It sends my soldier reflexes into overdrive. But for some reason, Eren's close proximity doesn't really bother me. I try not to dwell on that too much as Erwin steps up to the jeep and climbs into the seat Eren had just been occupying. I shift the jeep into gear and pull out onto the tarmac just as the plane takes off.

Erwin isn't a talkative person, and neither am I, so the ride is very quiet as I pull off the tarmac onto the muddy road. I can hear Eren sigh behind me, and then he leans his head back, knocking it against mine, seemingly on accident.

"Oi, watch it," I growl, smacking him on the back of the head.

"Sorry, Captain," he replies immediately.

I glance over at Erwin for a moment. "Maybe you should assist with Eren's training," I suggest. "Or you should give me some pointers on how to run a new recruit through boot camp. You know I have no experience with that."

Eren turns around, looking through the space between Erwin and I. "You've never been to boot camp, Captain?"

"Private conversation, brat," I say and he quickly turns back around with a huff of disappointment.

Erwin laughs, but nods. "Yes, I'll help you Levi. Between the two of us, we should be able to whip this kid into shape."

...

The clock on the wall ticks ever closer to one in the morning. Erwin and I are sitting at my desk, Erwin describing the gist of a basic training routine. He helps me set up a specialized training plan for Eren, incorporating standard basic training methods with methods I would use to hone skills specific to my squad. Hopefully this training schedule will accelerate Eren's training and have him ready to deploy before we receive our next operation.

I tap my pen against the papers, resting my chin in the opposite hand and leaning my elbow on the desk. "Why didn't you tell me from the beginning that he is Carla's son?" I find myself asking Erwin, not looking up at him.

"Would it have changed things if I had?" he questions in return, sitting back in his chair and folding his hands behind his head.

I think about that for a moment before answering. "No, but it would have saved me a lot of time trying to figure out why you saddled me with a completely untrained recruit."

"I was hoping you would figure it out on your own. But I didn't want you to treat this kid any different because he is Carla's son. I didn't want you to baby or coddle him."

I look up at him, an eyebrow raised. "Did you really think I would baby him? Do I seem like the kind of person that would baby anyone?"

He laughs. "No, I suppose I shouldn't have been worried." He plants his hands on my desk and stands. "I think that is all for now. While I'm here this week, I'll spare some time to assist in beginning his training, but I'm leaving this mostly to you. He'll be your personal project. I'm interested to see how he turns out."

"And if I screw it up because I don't know how the fuck to train a rookie from scratch? What if I miss something and he gets us killed in some damned desert on the other side of the world?" I argue.

"You'll do fine, Levi. Don't over think it. You didn't receive basic training, and you were the first recruit that I trained myself. I'd like to think you didn't turn out too badly," he says over his shoulder as he leaves my office, shutting the door behind him.

I frown, leaning back in my chair and running a hand through my hair. The commander has a point, but then again, he didn't have to put as much training into me. I knew how to use a gun and a knife. I was great in hand-to-hand combat. I could sneak through a crowded street without being seen. I was a master at sticking to the shadows. I knew how to survive. My twenty-four years growing up in that underground shithole gave me an invaluable set of skills and made it much easier for Erwin to train me. I don't have that head start with Eren.

However, I will admit that the brat is determined. He has so much spirit. He's put one hundred and ten percent into everything I've had him do all week. Every morning, he'd wake up sore and tired, but that didn't stop him from putting everything into that day's training. Even though I don't really know what I'm doing, I feel that Eren will make it easy for me to train him. He may have rebellious, troublemaking tendencies, but I've barely seen them. I seems like he just wanted attention, and he sought it any way he could, even if that meant getting into trouble with the law. Now, he's a part of something important, something that keeps him busy. He has my attention and the attention of my squad, he's back with his adoptive sister, and he's actually doing something productive with his life. That rebellious streak won't disappear overnight, but it's already starting to fade away. He won't be hard to train. And honestly, I find that I don't mind having to work so closely with the brat.

**Eren**

"Jaeger," a voice says from behind me as I trudge sleepily back towards my room from the bathroom. I rub my eye and turn to see Erwin striding towards me. He's fully dressed in his uniform and looks wide awake. Does he have any idea what time it is? It's too damn early to be that awake, that's for sure.

"Yeah?" I mumble, then shake my head hard to wake myself up and correct my remark. "I mean... yes, Commander?"

"I'm glad you're up. Get dressed and come with me," he tells me.

"Yes, sir," I reply. It's not my place to question the commander. I will find out shortly what he wants with me. But it's quarter 'til six in the morning. I need to be meeting Levi for my training in just over an hour. I hope this won't take too long.

I hurry into my quarters and quickly pull on my fatigues. I run a quick brush through my hair, trying to put it into some sort of order, then leave my quarters to find Erwin. He's still waiting in the hall and turns on his heels when I approach. I follow close behind him as he leads me up two sets of stairs. I follow him to the security room where he flashes his ID at the private guarding the door, then scans it at the reader. Pushing the door open, he gestures for me to step inside.

I haven't been in this room before. It's much bigger than I thought it was. It's full of computer monitors and three of the walls are covered in TV screens. They all show security camera feeds of the hallways, the garages and armory, the mess hall, dozens of the grounds, and even more of the surrounding mountainside. One of the walls though, the left one, has video feeds of places I don't recognize. A couple are of a desert village, a couple more of an installation in a swamp, others show a location on a forested, snowy mountain peak. Are they other Marine Corps bases? Or are they targets? There are two horseshoe shaped rows of desks, one along the walls beneath the TV screens, and another inside of the first row. There are currently four privates haphazardly seated around the room.

Erwin leads me up to one of the privates. "This kid needs a Private Class access key," Erwin tells the private.

"Yes, Commander," he replies, standing and heading over to a different station. He riffles through a drawer and pulls out a camera. "Stand against the back wall."

I comply, putting my back against the wall. I don't smile as the private takes my picture, then pops out the SD card and shoves it into the computer at the other station. He opens a program and begins to ask me questions about my characteristics; height, weight, eye color, hair color, and also my name, date of birth, etcetera. After a few minutes of typing and clicking, he pulls a blank card out of the desk drawer and slides it into a small contraption. Another minute later, the contraption spits it back out and the private hands it to me.

Erwin puts a hand on my shoulder and leads me out of the room, thanking the private as we leave. "Now that you've decided to stay here and that Levi has decided to keep you on his squad, I thought it'd be best you get your permanent access key as soon as possible. Now you won't have to follow Levi around like a lost puppy. You'll get your actual military ID in a couple of weeks," he explains to me.

Levi told Erwin he wants me to stay on his squad? I didn't realize that he had a choice, and I had felt a little bad about that, but it feels good to know that Levi did in fact have a choice and that he chose to keep me around. I guess I haven't irritated him as much this last week as I thought I had.

"Levi will be starting your training in the gym this morning," he tells me. "Knowing that man, he's already down there."

Erwin leaves me without another word and I stand in the hallway, trying to decide what to do. It's quarter after six. Levi isn't expecting me until seven, but forty-five minutes isn't enough time to go back to bed. Well, if Levi really is in the gym already, I might as well head down there. That's an extra forty-five minutes of training, and I'll take all the extra opportunities to train that I can get.

I head down one flight of stairs to the gyms and walk down the hall to Squad Levi's gym. When I reach the door, I can hear the familiar clank of a bench press barbell. So he works out in the mornings. When we were training in here this last week, he never worked out with me. He spotted and coached me, but never joined me. I've never seen him work out, and I had been starting to think that maybe he didn't. But that's ridiculous, right? I swipe my new ID card and push open the door.

Levi is laying back on the bench press, and for the first time I'm seeing him in something other than a uniform. He's wearing a pair of grey sweats with 'USMC' printed on the outer thigh, and isn't wearing a shirt, although I see the standard dark green tank top laying folded on the floor. He lifts the bar back onto the rack and sits up at the sound of the opening door. The man may be short, but his arms and chest are sculpted with lean muscle that makes him look like he could take anyone out despite their size. Across his chest and over his shoulders I can just barely make out stripes of calloused, rough skin. They match the exact pattern of the 3DMG body harnesses. It puts truth to his words when he said he's been using the device for ten years.

His forehead, shoulders, and chest gleam with sweat, and he picks up a small towel to wipe it off as he says, "You're early. How did you get in?"

"Commander Erwin took me to get an access key," I tell him, holding it up. "He mentioned that you were probably down here, so I thought I'd start my training early."

He nods, tossing his towel onto the bench next to the one he's sitting on and runs a hand through his thick black hair. "Get started on your warm-ups," he says. "I'm not finished with my routine, so don't expect me to fucking babysit you until I'm done."

I nod and he reaches down to pick up his tank top and pull it on over his head before laying back down on the bench. I feel a pang of disappointment that surprises me. I watch Levi continue with his reps, watching the muscles of his arms and chest strain with the great weight. I try not to stare, but I can't help it. Removing my jacket and quickly falling into push-up position, I stare a hole into the floor beneath my face. My cheeks are burning. This can't be happening. Is this why I was so determined to pass the test and stay on Levi's squad? Is this why I can't stand the thought of disappointing him? Is it because I... I'm attracted to my captain? I can't be attracted to him. First and foremost, he's my captain. Second, I have no idea how old he is, but he has to be at least in his late twenties considering he's been in this squad for ten years. Third, what could I possibly hope to gain by fawning over him? He's so unapproachable, so intimidating. And even if he is interested in men, why would he return the feelings of a delinquent punk? I mean, he calls me a brat. He thinks of me as just a kid.

I frown, continuing with my morning warm-ups, trying not to concentrate too much on Levi. He finishes with his reps on the bench press, then moves over to the pull-up bar. I can't help but watch him as he jumps to grab the bar, then holds his legs out from his body at a ninety degree angle and begins his pull-ups. He stares straight ahead of him, his eyes seemingly blank and his face unreadable. He appears to be exerting absolutely no effort at all. When he finishes with those, he flips his legs up over the bar, hanging upside down. Then, he begins to do crunches in this position. His back remains straight and his hands hover behind his head, but don't touch. He's so strong...

I quickly turn my head and stare at the wall in front of me as I do my own crunches on the floor. I breathe heavily, my eyebrows and mouth drawn down into a frown as I fight the burn in my abs. I'm just finishing with the set when Levi's legs cross my line of sight, heading for the door.

"I'll be back in fifteen," he tells me, draping his towel over his shoulder. "Don't hurt yourself while I'm gone, brat."

"Yes, sir," I reply.

The door closes behind him and I exhale sharply, falling back onto my back. I dry wash my face. This is just a thing. I've always known that I was into guys rather than girls, but I've never been in an actual relationship before. I just like to admire muscles, and tough guys attitudes always turn me on. I've had a number of sexual partners, more than I'd like to count and none of which I'd like to dwell on, but they were enough to prove where my sexuality lies. I've never actually been attracted to anyone though. At least, before now I haven't. But why does it have to be Levi? Why can't he just be my captain? My well toned, tough guy, high strung, mysterious, intense, gorgeous...

Dammit. It will pass. This is just a phase. I've been on the streets and haven't received positive attention for over a year, blowing dick and letting men fuck me in exchange for smokes, alcohol, and food. I'm just craving the attention of the first guy I've been able to connect with since trying to turn my life around, the first guy that's giving me something without expecting anything in return. That's all it is. I just need to suppress these feelings, bury them down deep, and eventually I'll forget they're there and they'll go away for good. Levi is my captain. I need to treat him as such: with respect and loyalty. I'm his subordinate. Nothing more.

With that decided, I steel my resolve and get to work on my more intense exercises. Most of what we worked on all week were leg and core exercises. We didn't really work with arm strengthening, but of the three exercises I watched Levi do, two were arm strengthening exercises: the pull-ups and the bench pressing. Obviously arm strength is important, so I decide to start with that. I don't want to use the bench press without a spotter, so I head over to the pull-up bar and start a few sets of pull-ups.

Fifteen minutes later I'm hanging from the bar, the palms of my hands and the muscles in my arms screaming in pain. My chin is resting against my chest as I try to convince myself that I can complete another set. This is how Levi finds me when he steps into the gym, in his squad uniform with his hair still damp from his shower.

"Come with me," he says, still standing by the door. "We'll be working in a training room this morning."

I drop from the bar and grab my camouflage jacket, shrugging back into it as I follow him from the room. We head further down the hall until we get to a set of double doors marked 'Training Room 5'. Levi waves his access card across the sensor and the doors unlock with a click. He pushes one door open to reveal a surprisingly small room. The floor is completely covered in mats, as well as the bottom half of every wall. The rest of his squad is already in here and they appear to be practicing their hand-to-hand combat. Does this mean I'm going to start working with Levi's squad now? But there is a lot I still have to learn before I'm anywhere near their level.

"It's raining again today, so we'll be working indoors. We're going to start with something a little more interesting this morning," Levi tells me. "Hand-to-hand combat is a very important skill to have in this squad. Sometimes you have to get physical in close quarters with a target, and your weapons may not always be easily accessible."

I nod as I watch Eld flip Gunther onto his back, dropping down to pin him with a knee to the chest, a wooden practice knife pressed to Gunther's throat. Petra and Oluo dance around each other as well, each taking swings which the other manages to block. They seem evenly matched, and I can tell Oluo isn't holding back. Being a woman and being half a head shorter than Oluo isn't hindering Petra in the slightest. All four of them move with a very fluid, yet mechanic grace, something likely achieved from a lot of high level training. Levi leads me to a clear spot in the room.

"Before I can teach you anything, I'd like to know what skills you already possess," he says, taking a few steps back from me. "Have you ever been in a hand-to-hand fight before?"

"Of course I have," I snort. "I've been involved in street gangs and I lived on the streets. I've been in many." Picking fights in school was my specialty, and I got into many fights with my little gang after school hours. But I doubt my style of fighting is what Levi is looking for. When you fight with street gangs, you tend to fight scrappy and dirty.

"Show me," he says, repositioning himself into a defensive stance. He stands with his left foot in front of his right, and his arms slightly raised, ready to defend himself against anything. His face is unreadable, like always. Suddenly I'm a little nervous. I have a height advantage on him, but he's very strong and very balanced, and he's had over a decade of military training and experience. It won't be easy, fighting against my captain.

I lunge at Levi, swinging a clenched fist. He easily blocks my swing with his arm, then spins around behind me. I feel a leg hook around my ankle and a hand on my throat. The next instant I'm on back, struggling to get air into my lungs, staring up at my captain hovering above me.

"Have you ever won any of these fights?" he asks. His tone has a slight mocking edge to it.

It's a long minute before I can answer, my lungs still trying to remember how to breathe. "Yes," I retort. "I usually win."

He snorts in derision, as if he either doesn't believe me or he thinks my opponents were just weak. Either way, he's mocking my ability to fight. And I guess when you have skills like his, it's easy to mock mine. He's strong, there is no doubt about that.

He lowers a hand to me, and I take it, letting him help me to my feet. "Take up your stance," he instructs me. I comply, and he circles me, eyeing my form as if he were a hunter stalking his prey. "You have no sense of balance. Why am I not surprised?"

I frown, but then he steps up behind me, kicking my heel with his foot. I move that foot forward and he grabs my elbows, pulling them back and closer to my sides. His hands then land on my shoulders, pulling them back to straighten my spine. Circling around in front of me, he kicks the outside of my other foot to move it in more, then takes my wrists and moves them closer to my chest.

"Keep your core protected. If someone has a knife," he says, holding up a wooden practice dagger, "you'll want to be able to stop it with your arms before it reaches anything vital. Keep your back straight and your feet closer together. You want to be able to avoid in any direction." I force myself to focus on what Levi is telling me instead of his hands on me, putting me into a proper stance. When he finishes, he takes a step back. "Try to block me. And try to stay on your feet."

Before I have time to even nod, he's attacking. He has the hilt of the wooden knife gripped backwards in his left hand. I manage to get my forearm up enough to block his arm, but then the knife is falling. He spins, snatching the hilt with his right hand and before I can react, he's behind me, the knife pressed against my throat and my right arm pinned to my back. He releases me after a moment and steps back again.

"That was better," he says, although I have a hard time figuring out if he is being sincere or not. It didn't seem much better to me. All I did was block one attack. He still bested me in practically no time at all.

I know it may not seem like it when fighting against Levi, but I'm actually a good fighter. I wasn't lying when I said I won most of the fights I got into. I knew what I was doing when I got into street fights. I know all the dirty tricks and moves, and I know a scrap fighter when I see one. Levi is so fast and so smooth that it's hard to pick up, but I can see street fighting techniques beneath his military preciseness. He said he lived on the streets too, and I wonder again about his past. How long was he on the streets? He obviously learned how to fight there. Was he a troublemaker like me that picked fights for the hell of it? Or did he fight out of necessity, in order to survive? I really want to know more about my mysterious captain.

When he tells me to take up my stance again, I decide this time that I'll implement some of the dirty tricks I learned on the streets. I want to see how he'll react. Will he drop his military precision and fall back to the skills he learned on the street? Or is he strong enough and fast enough to combat my tricks using his military training? I really just want to see him revert back to his old tricks. I want to see this by-the-book military captain fight like a street rat. I want to know his street skills.

When he lunges at me again, I duck to the side in order to avoid his knife. As his wrist passes my head, I manage to snatch the 'blade' and, in a move known for breaking wrists, I twist and rip the hilt from his hands. I don't want to hurt him though, so I don't use as much force. But he knows the move and reacts immediately, not putting up any resistance as I take the knife. While I am ripping the knife from his left hand, my other hand manages to snag the little finger of his right hand. When the knife comes free, I spin around behind him, pulling his right hand up over his head, pulling his finger down at an angle that will easily dislocate or break the finger if I wanted to cause that much damage. He reacts to this too, however. His back suddenly leans against mine, forcing my chest down. He literally flips over my back, his free arm wrapping around my neck. With his now freed right hand, he snags the knife back from my loose grip. When his feet hit the ground, he quickly straightens, and I unexpectedly find myself in a headlock, my head pinned beneath his arm and pressed into his side. The point of the wooden knife is digging into my side.

He holds me like that for a long minute. My neck stings from the strain he's exerting on the muscles, but I don't dare fight against him. He's breathing slightly hard, and I can hear his heart beating quickly. Even in this compromising position, I can't help the smile that pulls at my lips. That was exactly what I was looking for. He knew how to combat my street tricks, most likely from experience, and he countered them with a mix of street tactics and military precision. He felt so smooth and graceful. I kind of wish I had been able to witness it as an observer. But at the same time, it was the best fight I had ever had the experience of being in, even though if it had been a real fight I would be dead with a knife in my side and a snapped neck.

Levi finally releases me and takes a step back, running his fingers through his hair to put it back into some sort of order. Everyone is staring at us. His whole squad has stopped their own sparing matches and are watching us in awe.

"Wow, Eren!" Petra smiles. "Nobody does that well against the captain on the first day. And with no military training? Wow."

"Get back to work," Levi snaps at all of them, waving a hand in their direction before focusing back on me. "She's right. You did well. But from now on, you will learn military techniques and implement them only. No more scrap fighting."

"Yes, sir," I say, but my smile is still on my face.

"Oi, stop grinning like an idiot and pay attention, before I smack that fucking smirk off your face."

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><p><strong>Next Tuesday I'm going to be on a plane to Florida, so the next update will probably be a day early. Yay! So until then, have a nice life, and hopefully finals won't kill me XO. Good luck to any of you who are also studying for finals!<strong>

**zoey04ereri. tumblr. com (remove the spaces)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Yay for early updates! Thanks for the comments/kudos guys! I'm glad you all seemed to enjoy the fight scene between those two cuties. It's one of my favorite scenes :)**

**Also, someone commented on the last chapter saying they wanted to see Erwin in the military uniform. Well that inspired me to do this myzoey04. deviantart art/ Commander- Erwin- 501764948. Horrible picture quality I know, but this poor author/artist lacks a scanner XD you can also find it on my tumblr ****zoey04ereri. tumblr post/ 105819003895**

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><p><strong>Chapter 5: Levi<strong>

During the week of Erwin's stay at the base, he steps in every once in a while to assist in Eren's training. Eren always seems disappointed when that happens, and I wonder if it's because the commander intimidates him. And I don't? Erwin isn't a soft guy, but I always felt he was softer than I was, more compassionate. But then again, he is much more willing to throw away his humanity if he thinks it will be beneficial to rest of humankind. Take my squad for example. Erwin created my squad to go in and primarily survey the opponent, but also to eliminate those he sees as a threat to national security, targets that the US government hasn't legally been able to declare an enemy. It takes a certain dark side to be able to order someone's execution without lawful evidence of guilt. Maybe Eren has seen this side of him and it intimidates him. Whatever the case may be, he always seems excited to return to my command after working with Erwin.

We work hard during Erwin's stay, and even harder after he leaves. My squad hadn't received an assignment for three weeks before Eren even arrived. We should be getting one soon, and I would like Eren to accompany us. But he can't unless I feel he has enough training not to botch it. As it is, if he does accompany us, he won't be playing a major role. Not on his first mission. But it's better to make him as ready as possible, because honestly, with the missions we carry out it is almost impossible to predict how things will go. Most of our deployment is having to make snap decisions, choosing whichever path we will regret the least.

My team really seems to take to Eren, myself included. There is just something about the brat that draws me in. I feel like we've connected. I've never felt close to anyone else the way I feel close to him. Sure I'm close with my squad, and with Erwin, but this is something different, something I can't put a name too. It's just a bunch of stupid emotional shit and I try to ignore it. I try to explain it away by telling myself that it's because he's Carla's son, and that I must feel like I owe him something.

Of the rest of my squad though, Petra seems to have taken the most interest in Eren. She practically adopts the kid, and when he's not following me around, he's following her around. Her, or that other black-haired private, Mikasa. More like Mikasa follows _him_ around. I don't know why I felt relieved when he told me she was his adoptive sister, but I was definitely glad to hear it. He spends all of his free time with her and Petra, and a large group of privates from Mike's squad that he's befriended. He seems to get along with everybody. He keeps them close when he can, and I know why. When you're on the streets at a young age, life is much easier if you have a gang to watch your back. He was in a street gang in middle and high school, and he's trying to replicate that here. It makes him comfortable.

But I don't allow him much free time around his training. I give him half an hour for lunch, and an hour for dinner, then we train until midnight. I train him six days a week, only giving him Sundays off, just as the rest of the base has. Eren doesn't seem to mind though. If anything, he seems to enjoy it. He gets up early to get breakfast with his friends, and he spends his Sundays with them. But when he's training, he always seems eager to learn something new. He puts everything he has into every technique, every exercise I run him through, and in the three weeks since Erwin left, he's progressed alarmingly fast. He seems to have a natural talent when it comes to combat and stealth. It is the exact result I am looking for. I train him harder than he would've been trained in basics, I'm sure. I know that his training is brutal, but I push him anyway. I need him to be as ready as possible as fast as possible. He has a lot of catching up to do to match the rest of my squad.

I'm interested in seeing if that natural talent extends to the maneuvering gear. After Eren and I both expressed our desires for him to stay on my squad, Erwin put in an order for his own body harness, maneuvering gear, and squad uniform. The military doesn't allow me to keep extra sets of maneuvering gear here at the base considering they're so expensive, but they sent one over pretty quickly, even with a case engraved for Eren. The body harness and squad uniform need to be custom made though, and they both take about a month to make, so he won't be able to try out the gear until he at least gets the harness. He uses my spare body harness to keep retaking the test, to keep practicing in the testing device, but my body harness doesn't fit him the way it needs to, and he could end up getting hurt trying to actually use the maneuvering gear in it. He needs to wait until he receives his own harness that has been fitted to him. In the meantime while he waits for the harness to arrive, he has taken a few short 'classes', taught mostly by Eld with my occasional input. It breaks down the mechanics of the three-dimensional maneuvering gear, teaches him how it works, and teaches him how to use it without actually using it. Eren really seems to enjoy these classes more than the other few Marine Corps basics classes he's had to take. In these classes, I can see the excitement and the need to absorb every word out of Eld mouth in his eyes.

It's only been just over a month and a half since Eren arrived at the base, and I feel like he's already a part of my squad. Usually it takes me a number of months and a couple of operations to get comfortable with new squad members, and they've always come onto my squad fully trained, not as an untrained brat that forces me to ignore my current squad members in order to train him. Eld has practically taken over my squad while I've been busy with Eren. I've started training him in proximity with my squad, like I did when we started hand-to-hand combat training, but I still have to give Eren my full attention. This doesn't bother me though. Eren is actually one of the best privates I've ever had to work with. His determination is incredible and his stamina is endless. He never complains, no matter what I make him do. He's not overly talented in any one area, but his motivation and hard work more than make up for it. I wonder though if he'll be a good fit in my squad. I'm a little nervous about him having to deal with what we do overseas. Will he be able to kill someone solely because Erwin tells him to, without knowing why the target is a target? I have this unexplainable urge to protect him from that. But I know I can't. He chose to stay on my squad. Although, I never did tell him that we are also asked to assassinate people...

I try not to dwell on that as I dry my hair with a towel, walking down the hall towards my quarters. Today we are going to train at the gun range. I don't think the kid has ever fired a firearm in his life, so it's about time he learns. In my quarters, I dress into my squad uniform, including the body harness, and pull my guns from their lockbox. Out of habit, I run a cloth over the sleek metal before tucking them into the holsters under my arms.

I step out of my quarters at the same time Eren steps out of his. When he sees me, he smiles and falls into step beside me as I head to the stairwell.

"Good morning, Captain," he greets.

"Morning, brat."

"What are we going to work on today?" he asks, following me up the stairs.

"Have you ever fired a gun?" I ask him.

He looks over at me, slightly wide-eyed. What does he have to be nervous of? He's in the wrong place if he's afraid of guns. "No," he finally replies as we reach the third floor.

"Of course you haven't," I retort sarcastically with a roll of my eyes. "After you complete your morning exercises, I'll be correcting that issue."

He still looks nervous, but that ever familiar determined glint appears in his eyes and he nods. He follows me into the training room and immediately gets to work on his morning exercises. I cross over to a bench press to take a seat, but hesitate. I should take this time to work with the rest of my squad. Eren can run his exercises on his own, at least the ones I don't have to spot him on. But those can wait until the end of his routine.

"I'll be back in half an hour," I tell him, moving back to the door. "Don't hurt yourself."

I leave the gym and hurry up to the ground floor. I see the glint of a metal case as someone leaves the mess hall, and I follow it. Pushing through the doors, I see my squad walking away from the base, all carrying their maneuvering gear cases. Our maneuvering gear is supposed to be just as confidential as what my squad does, so we're only allowed to train with them out of sight of the base. That doesn't stop soldiers on watch from spotting us on their rounds, or other privates accidentally stumbling on our training sessions. I'd guess that the entire base knows about our gear, whether they've seen it themselves or they heard about it from someone who has.

"Eld," I call to the leader of the group.

Four heads turn to look back at me. They stop to wait for me to catch up.

"Decided to grace us with your presence today, Captain?" Oluo says with a smug grin.

"Shut up," I retort. "Get your gear on and get to work."

"Yes, sir," they reply in unison, continuing another hundred or so yards into the trees before lowering their cases. They quickly pull on their maneuvering gear.

"Where is Eren?" Petra asks as she adjusts the housings on her back.

"He's doing his morning exercises," I answer, crossing my arms over my chest. "Don't worry about him and get working."

"I'm going, I'm going," she replies, then shoots off into the trees.

Oluo, Gunther, and Eld follow closely behind her, flying and whipping around the trees. I sit back, watching their movements with a critical eye. I wish I had my own gear instead of being forced to watch from the ground. I love the maneuvering gear. It makes me feel free, unrestrained.

"This is stealth training, not a talent show, Petra," I call to her as she flips through the air. Watching my elite squad complete very advanced maneuvers with very specialized gear makes me realize exactly how far Eren still has to go in his training. I've been so caught up in training a rookie that I've forgotten how talented my squad is. And they were talented before I even offered them a place on my squad. It's why I chose them. So why was I so eager to keep Eren on my squad? I believe he can become as good as any of my squad, but it'll take a lot of time. Quiet possibly more than he has.

"I'm adding some flare!" Petra replies with a laugh.

"Flare will get you killed," I retort, then sigh and check my watch. "Take over Eld. I'll be training Eren at the range if you need me."

I stalk away from the group, back to the compound. On my way to the third floor, I stop by the armory on the second floor. Flashing my ID at the private posted there, I buzz into the large room. I head over to the far shelf and grab a small black case. Popping it open, I inspect the Beretta M9 before closing the case and grabbing a box of ammo. After quickly filling out the log and scrawling my signature, I continue on to the third floor.

I push open the door to see Eren hanging by his knees over the pull-up bar. He had removed his shirt, his upper body glistening with sweat. Disgusting... I'll have to admit though, the brat has really muscled out in the time that he's been here. He's no longer the skinny weakling he was when he got here. His arms and core are well defined, and he looks much healthier, much stronger, much more capable. I find myself admiring the way the muscles of his abs move and shift ever so slightly as he lifts his upper body to meet his legs.

He finishes a handful more hanging crunches, then grabs the bar with his hands and flips down onto the ground. He looks up at me, then seems to startle, hurriedly picking up his shirt and pulling it on over his head.

"Let's get to it, brat," I say, striding over to the bench press. It's the last stretch of his morning routine and I'm eager to get a gun in his hands.

Placing the gun case and the box of ammo next to the bench, I spot Eren as he completes his reps. When he got here, he could barely press forty pounds. Now he's worked his way up to one hundred and fifty, and he completes his first three sets of twenty five without too much of a struggle. It's only during the last half of his fourth set that I feel the need to keep a firm hand on the barbell. He doesn't make eye contact with me as I stand over him. While he presses the weight, he looks anywhere but at me. He does this every single time, and I find it odd.

"Captain?" he asks, his soft voice breaking the silence.

"What do you want?" I reply.

"Now that I'm officially part of your squad..." he starts, hesitating as he lifts the heavy bar back up, "am I allowed ask where we are?"

"Colorado," I answer. It's all I tell him, because there's not much more to say.

"Are there... civilians around here? What if... someone stumbles on this place... on accident?"

"Then we'll just have to kill them," I reply. The sarcasm in my voice must not have been enough to be detectable, because Eren falters, forcing me to tighten my grip on the bar. He doesn't drop it though, and quickly continues with his reps, a concerned look in his eyes. What a pain... "I'm kidding. We have a perimeter fence, and for those who chose to ignore it, we have privates who patrol the fences twenty-four seven with canines. We've never had a civilian accidentally end up on our base."

"I didn't... see a perimeter fence," he says.

"Why would you? The landing strip is inside the fence. We have a lot of acreage up here."

He nods in understanding, then goes quiet again as he finishes up his reps. When he lifts the barbell back up onto the rack, I toss him his towel and pick up the gun case and ammo. "Let's go shoot things," I say, heading to the door. He quickly wipes his forehead and neck clean and follows after me. As always, he follows behind me, and as we leave the compound, I glance over my shoulder. "When are you going to stop stalking me?"

"Sorry, Captain," he says, hurrying to my side. A slight color tinges his cheeks and he stares at the ground as he follows at my side.

I exhale and press the gun case into his arms as we cross the grounds to the east of the base, stepping up to the gun range. It's quiet, and the air smells clean. No one has used, or is using, the gun range yet today. I lead Eren to the slot in the middle of the row. Eren sets the case on the shelf in the front of the stall and I leave him there to go set up the targets.

"Don't touch that gun until I'm off the range," I call to him, not looking over my shoulder. "I don't feel like getting shot today."

"Yes, sir," he replies, but I hear the gun case open anyway.

I look over my shoulder as I pin up the thick paper with a black silhouette on it. He doesn't touch the gun, just stares at it. I quickly pin two more up, then cross back to the other side of the stalls. The stalls are just wide enough for Eren and I to stand in one side by side, our shoulders touching. Eren shifts to stand sideways as I step up to the shelf and pull the gun and magazine from the case and move the case to the floor. I hold the gun up sideways so Eren can see.

"Have you ever even held a gun before?" I ask.

He shakes his head.

"Okay then," I sigh. "This is a Beretta M9 service pistol. It is the standard handgun issued by the Marine Corps. This is the safety. Slide up to switch it off. Always keep it on until you're ready to shoot. If it's in your holster, the safety is on. No exceptions. This is the release for the magazine. Press to release, and to reload the magazine, just slam it back up into the well. You'll hear a click when it's secured." I demonstrate quickly, slamming the empty magazine up into the well. "Once the magazine is in, pull back on the slide and release, and now your weapon is loaded. To unload, release the magazine, then pull the slide back to eject any rounds left in the chamber." I demonstrate this as well with the empty magazine. "Are you following so far?"

He nods, so I hand him the gun and ask him to run through what I just showed him. He runs through the process quickly, but looks nervous holding the unloaded gun in his hands. That will change soon enough.

"Good. Put the gun on the table and open that box," I tell him, gesturing to the ammo box by his elbow. "To fill a magazine, take the round in your hand like this, and use your thumb to press the round into the magazine, like so. The standard Beretta M9 magazine holds fifteen rounds. You can see how full your magazine is by checking the back slot right here."

He watches over my shoulder, an intent look on his face. He's taking in every word I say and committing it to memory. I run over the rest of the fine details and rules of operating a handgun. Finally, I hand him the loaded weapon. Drawing my own Beretta from my right holster, I stand beside him and show him a proper stance. During our missions, flying through the air in our maneuvering gear, we often don't use the proper stance, but it's good to start with the basics. We do mostly use our guns on the ground though, since it's hard to use them concurrently with the maneuvering gear.

"Hold the gun like this in your dominant hand, with your other hand positioned like this," I say, moving my hands into position on my own Beretta to show him, then set my gun down to reposition Eren's hands on his gun. "Good, just like that. Keep your arms straight and always keep the muzzle of the gun pointed at the ground. Don't touch the trigger until you are ready to fire and never aim a gun at something you don't wish to destroy. Keep your feet shoulder width apart. Good. Shoulders relaxed, back straight, head up."

He takes up his position, keeping the gun pointed down at the ground. "Go ahead and raise your weapon." He raises his arms. I push his tense shoulders down, press a hand into his upper back to straighten it, and kicking the back of his left heel to move it forward slightly. "Good. Now, when you're ready to fire, switch off your safety and move your finger onto the trigger. Look down the barrel of the gun to aim, then take a deep breath in, and squeeze the trigger as you exhale. Mind the kick."

He aims the gun and draws in a deep, shaky breath. His hands are shaking slightly, but then he exhales and squeezes off a round. The kick seems to startle him, and he jumps, taking a step back, his left hand coming off the gun. I instinctively reach out towards the gun to grab it, but he holds onto it with his right hand and keeps it steadily pointed down range. He looks over at me with wide eyes. I raise an eyebrow at him.

"Sorry," he murmurs. "Did I hit it?"

I look over at the target straight in front of us. I don't see any marks on the paper. "No. You must've been wide."

He frowns and puts his left hand back on the gun, taking aim again. This time when he fires a round, he remains in control. The gun bucks slightly in his hands, but he doesn't let it startle him again. He looks up from the gun, lowering it slightly to check out the target. I see the small hole in the upper left hand corner of the paper, about four inches from the silhouette. This seems to excite him though, and he smiles, taking aim and squeezing off three more rounds. He misses in the same direction by an inch, barely nicks the silhouette, then hits it square in the shoulder.

"I think I'm getting the hang of it," he says, a grin on his face.

I snort. "You're standing still, shooting at a stationary target. In order to be on par with the rest of my squad, you'll need to hit a moving target from twice as far away while moving at full speed using the maneuvering gear."

He stares at me with wide eyes, his lips parting slightly. The expression on his face screams 'you're kidding me, right?'. No, brat, I'm not kidding, and I say that by returning his stare with a serious glare of my own. He swallows, and that ever present look of determination steels over him and he takes aim again, firing off a few more rounds. I can't stop the smile when I see a gathering of holes centered on the silhouette's chest.

...

We spend most of the morning at the gun range, where the rest of my squad eventually joins us. Eren improves very quickly, becoming alarmingly accurate faster than I'd think possible. When we close the range to tear down our targets, Eren actually asks me if he can keep one of them to hang in his quarters. I still don't know if he was joking or not, because when I told him 'no', he looked upset but it didn't seem genuine. He appeared to be amused, and later laughed about it with Petra as we walked away from the range.

It's while my squad is in the mess hall eating lunch that a private knocks on my open door. I look up from the monthly three-dimensional maneuvering gear inspection reports to regard the private. He doesn't look familiar. He must be from the supply plane that was due to make a drop soon. I guess soon is now.

"Can I help you?" I ask him. I remain seated at my desk, and the private stands at attention in my doorway, not daring to enter without permission.

"Are you Captain Levi Ackerman of the Scouts Regiment?" he questions, continuing only after I nod. "I have supplies for your squad. You will need to sign off on them."

I nod and wave for him to enter the room. He leans down to pick something up from the floor just outside the door. It's a black uniform bag, a small metal case, and a thick orange sealed envelope. The uniform bag must be Eren's squad uniform, the small case his body harness, and the envelope- judging by the amount of 'confidential' and 'top secret' stamps and seals all over it- contains operation specs.

I take the bag and unzip it to quickly inspect the uniform, doing the same with the body harness, before I take the clipboard from the private and scribble my signature in the correct box. He asks for my ID and I flash it at him before pocketing it again. He leaves my room and I take the uniform bag to my closet to hang so it won't get wrinkled before I can pass it on to Eren. I close the door to my office before sitting back down at my desk. Moving the body harness case to the side of the desk, I pick up the orange envelope.

I was starting to wonder when our next operation orders would arrive. It's definitely been long enough. I'll have to read through the specs before I'll know if Eren will be accompanying us, but I already have a feeling he won't be. I usually receive the specs two weeks before the set deployment date. He just learned how to fire a gun today and he hasn't had the chance to even wear maneuvering gear, let alone practice using it. He won't be ready for a mission before we deploy in two weeks.

I open the envelope, breaking the seal and pulling out a thick manila folder. The cover sheet simply reads 'Scouts Regiment: Operation 845'. I flip past the cover sheet and begin to skim through the specs. I'll read it in detail when I have time, but for now I just want to know what our objective is.

Homeland Security requested this one. Our location is a heavily forested mountain face in the Alps. It is the suspected location of a terrorist organization that has made open threats towards the United States and other allied nations. The United States is always receiving threats, and most are immediately dismissed. But they have more investigated than they would openly admit. That is the purpose of my squad. We investigate the threats that Homeland Security and the Secret Service don't have the time or manpower to investigate, the ones that they don't want the general population to know about. Sometimes it's because they are small threats that they can't easily dismiss, or they are much larger threats that would send the country into a panic if they were made public. Either way it's the job of my squad to investigate, evaluate, and eliminate if need be.

This operation seems to be against a rather small group. Or at least, the suspected number of members at this location is minimal. It could very easily be a smaller branch of a larger organization. Our main objective appears to be reconnaissance. The deployment period is short this time: only five days including two for travel. If only Eren was further along in his training. This would be the perfect first assignment for him. It's simple, short, and we probably won't have to kill anyone. But use of our maneuvering gear is critical, and he can't learn the advanced techniques needed in only two weeks.

A knock on my door draws my attention from the specs. "What do you want?" I demand.

"Uh, it's me, Captain," Eren's voice replies from the other side of the door. "My half an hour is up. I can wait for you somewhere if you are busy."

"Hold on, I'll be out in a minute."

I close the thick folder and stand. Moving to my closet, I pull out my green cloak, emblazoned with the Wings of Freedom, and flip it on over my shoulders, fastening it in front of my right shoulder. I don't know why I feel the urge to wear this now. Maybe it's because I will be deploying soon and I want to get the dust off, not that there is any dust. Dust wouldn't dare land on my uniform. Grabbing Eren's uniform bag, I also pick up his body harness case from my desk and open the door.

Eren is leaning against the wall to the right of my door and shrugs off the wall when I exit. He looks me over, eyeing the cloak. That's right. He's never seen it before. I hand him the bag and the case before gesturing with one hand to my cloak.

"This is the full Scouts Regiment uniform. That," I say, pointing to the bag, "is your uniform. The case holds your body harness. Go get changed and meet me behind the compound."

His eyes are glowing with excitement as he eagerly hurries towards his room, the door slamming shut behind him. I can't help but roll my eyes as I make my way down the hall and up a two floors to the armory. For the third time today, I flash my ID at the private guarding the door and swipe my access card to enter. In the back corner sits a floor to ceiling, steel, safe-looking closet. It requires an eight digit pass code and the swipe of my ID to open. It only accepts the IDs of my squad and Erwin. I pull the heavy door open to reveal three rows of two large metal cases, each containing a set of three-dimensional maneuvering gear. Mine sits in the middle row -only because I can't reach the top row, which irritates me more than I'd care to admit- and Eren's in the bottom right corner. I remove both cases, then close the thick door with my foot. I sign beneath my two other signatures, one checking out a Beretta M9 and the other checking it back in, then leave the armory with the two cases.

When I reach the back of the compound, Eren is not there. I exhale sharply and set the two cases down, pulling the sleeve of my jacket back on my left arm just enough to glance at my watch. Where is that brat? It shouldn't take him this long to change into his uniform.

Just at that moment, Eren comes jogging around the corner of the compound, a huge shit-eating grin on his face. I watch him as he hurries to my side. He looks very good in his squad uniform. He belongs in it, on my squad. Now all he has to do is learn how to use the maneuvering gear and he will be an official member of my squad, and not just look like one. He looks so proud, so happy, as he should. Very few people get the opportunity to wear those wings on their back.

I realize I'm staring as he reaches my side and I look away quickly, trying to mask whatever feelings those were with an irritated mask. I gesture for him to pick up his case as I grab my own. He follows by my side as I lead him into the thick woods, past the testing device.

"Now that you have your own body harness, you finally get to put Eld's lessons to use. I'm hoping you remember what he told you," I say, glancing over- and up, dammit- at Eren.

"I remember," he says with a firm nod. He's practically bouncing up and down in excitement.

"Don't get too jittery, brat," I tell him. "The triggers on those handgrips are very sensitive and touchy."

He nods and I hear him take a deep breath to calm himself. Once we're deep enough in the trees, I stop and tell him to put his gear on. He sets down the case and pops it open. I do the same with mine, and I quickly run through how to put the gear on, demonstrating with my own. He follows what I'm doing and, with a little bit of help from me, he gets it on properly. He just stands there, looking down at the handgrips in his hands, before looking up at me.

"Well? Are you going to give it a try?" I question. "There's nothing I can tell you now that you haven't already heard, from either myself or Eld."

I don't give him time to reply, instead giving him something to follow. I fire my grappling hooks into a tree and take off, albeit at a slower pace than usual, through the trees. A quick look over my shoulder reveals that Eren did follow me. He follows a few dozen feet behind me, a nervous yet excited expression on his face. He wobbles and can't seem to keep a straight path, but he seems to be getting the hang of it as I weave in and out and around the trees. He follows for a few minutes, then starts cutting his own path. He even races out in front of me, doing a flip through the air before shooting his hooks into the next tree. I can hear his voice laughing and cheering as he flies between the trees. A smile spreads across my face as I chase after him. I'm glad Erwin dumped this untrained brat in my lap. I'm glad he had faith in my ability to train him. I'm glad Eren decided to stay on my squad. Eren is a natural at this. He belongs in that uniform, with the Wings of Freedom fluttering on his back.

* * *

><p><strong>For the Beretta M9 stuff, I personally have no experience with that brand of handgun. I've only ever used police issue Glock 9mm, and that is what I'm basing Levi's instructions off of. So if the Beretta's mechanics are much different than a Glock 22 then oops :3<strong>


	6. Chapter 6

**So lots of switching POVs in this chapter. It starts and ends with Eren but Levi gets a section in the middle. Sorry if it confuses anyone. This chapter is really long too. I'll try to keep them a little shorter in future chapters.**

**Thanks for the reviews for the last chapter! I love receiving them :) Enjoy!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 6: Eren<strong>

Taking a long drag of my cigarette, I look up at the night sky before letting the smoke swirl past my lips. It hasn't rained for a week or so, but thick cloud cover hides the stars tonight, and I feel like the good weather is coming to an end. It is getting much colder as winter rolls in, and I huddle deeper into my deep green cloak with the silver and blue wings splayed across the back. The freezing night air nips at my nose and cheeks, leaving them red and numb, but my cloak is warm, as is the smoke of my cigarette. I take another drag.

Levi and I worked all afternoon with the maneuvering gear, only stopping when the sun started to set. He says that it's dangerous to use the gear at night because, at such high speeds, it's easy not to see an obstruction before you're already running into it, and it's hard to find an anchor for the grappling hooks when you can't see further than a few feet in front of you. But the entire afternoon was exhilarating. Using the maneuvering gear is one of the best feelings I've ever experienced. So many times while I was growing up after my mom died and my dad left, I wished that I could grow wings and fly away. Now I can. Now I have literal wings on my back and metaphorical wings on my hips.

Levi had looked so natural using his gear today. I only ever saw him use it after I first took the test what seems like an eternity ago, and that was just for a few minutes to quickly demonstrate what the gear does. But today, he showed me a taste of what he's capable of. He started off simple, but once I got the hang of it, he actually dicked around with me. He did some quick, precise maneuvers and even threw in a few flips and spins. He was having fun with me, and the expression he wore while he did is one I'll never forget. I've engrained it into my memory. He looked so... free. He looked like flying through the trees on thin wires at break-neck speeds was what he was born to do. He was so relaxed and so comfortable. He let himself go, and I very much enjoyed seeing that side of my intense, hard-nosed captain. He was beautiful.

Once the sun had started to set, after we had packed up our gear, Levi dismissed me for the night. Usually we train more after dinner, but he gave me the rest of the night off. I didn't question him, didn't ask why, instead following his orders. I'm getting a lot better at that. I can literally feel my rebellious nature fading away. So after dinner, I talked with Mikasa and some of my new friends- Jean, Marco, Connie, Sasha, Krista, and Ymir-, I took a walk in the cool night air, and now I'm sitting all alone in the courtyard.

I hear the opening and closing of a door and turn to look over my shoulder. When I see Levi heading towards me, I quickly snuff out my cigarette on the bottom of my boot, flicking the butt into the ash tray next to the bench. Levi has his head down, his arms crossed over his chest and hidden beneath his green cloak. The normal urgency to Levi's steps is absent, instead being replaced with a calm, relaxed stride. He's not in any hurry. Apparently his hectic life has slowed down. At least at this very moment it has.

He sits on the bench next to me, closer than I would've expected. But hey, I'm not complaining. He doesn't say anything for a long moment, looking straight out in front of him at the darkness of the courtyard.

"It's fucking cold," he finally says. "What are you doing out here?"

"I stepped out for a smoke," I reply. "I like the cold though. It's... refreshing."

He takes in a deep breath and his nose and eyebrows crinkle together at the heavy smell of smoke. It was actually surprisingly cute, and I would enjoy it more if I weren't embarrassed of what I now see as a disgusting habit.

"Sorry," I murmur. "I'm close to quitting, I think. It's getting longer and longer between my smoke breaks. It's been two days since my last cigarette. It helps that you occupy nearly all of my time with training."

A small smile pulls at his lips for a split second before it disappears. _Too_ _late, Levi_, I think to myself. _I saw it._

"This morning I received deployment orders," he tells me after a minute of silence. His smooth voice is soft, quiet. Is that because of the quietness of the night around us, or is it because of what he just said?

My eyes widen and I look over at him quickly. Deployment orders? We have a mission? I feel both excited and nervous as I wait for Levi to elaborate. I know I've already been here nearly two months of my twelve month sentence, but I wasn't expecting to be deployed so quickly. I'm ready to go though. Levi has been sadistically training my ass off for almost two months. I've put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into my training, and I'm ready to finally put it to use. My nervousness starts to fade as my excitement smothers it.

"Where are we going?" I ask. "And when are we leaving? For how long?"

"_We_ are not going anywhere," he replies, his voice is harder again, back to its usually steely, yet soothingly smooth tone. My heart drops and I feel like I've just been punched in the gut. I know where he's going with this, what he's about to say. I didn't realize how excited I had gotten myself so quickly. "You will not be deploying for this operation."

"Why not?" I argue with him. I know I'm out of line speaking to my captain like this, but I can't stop myself. "Why do I have to stay behind? I've trained so hard, I've worked so hard. I'm ready-"

"No," he interrupts me, his tone harsh, daring me to argue with him further. "You are not ready. You don't understand just how much training goes into becoming a soldier on my squad. You just learned how to fire a gun, and you just learned how to use your three-dimensional maneuvering gear. You can't become proficient enough to not be a burden in the two weeks before we deploy."

"But, Captain-" I try to press, but he interrupts me again.

"Enough," he snaps, standing and spinning to face me. I can hear the anger in his tone, but I feel like it's masking something else, some deeper emotion. "You aren't ready, Jaeger, and you are proving that to me further by arguing with me. You're not on the streets anymore. This isn't your street gang. I am your captain and you are my subordinate, and you need to fucking act like it. Subordination and obedience aren't only required when it's convenient for you. This behavior is the reason you're here in the first place, the reason that you have been shuffled in and out of lockup your whole life. It's because you have no respect for authority, and I can't afford to have a hotshot like that botching my operations. When your training is completed, and when you learn how to respect me and my position while not acting like a spoiled brat, only then will you be allowed to deploy with me and my squad."

His words sting worse than the frigid cold on my cheeks and nose. Every word he spoke is true, and they pierce me through to my very core. He's absolutely right. That was my old self, my rebellious punk of a kid, speaking out against the authority in my life. Does it suck that I'm being left behind like a pet no one can afford to take care of? Yes. But I have no right to speak up against my captain. He's making this decision for a reason. I need to learn to respect that.

I shove my anger and my embarrassment down deep, locking them away and calming myself down before I stand and face him, standing at attention. "I apologize, Captain. I respect your decision."

His expression softens a little, and now he only looks slightly irritated, which is a normal expression for him. "Good. We won't be gone long," he assures me, turning to head back to the mess hall. I don't make any move to follow him. "We'll only be gone for five days. I'll have Mike temporarily take you into his squad so you can keep training. By our next operation, you should be ready to deploy with me." He stops by the door, just a dozen or so feet away, with his hand on the handle. "Don't worry, Eren. You'll get your fair share of operations before your year here is up. Don't be so eager to rush into an operation you're not ready for and get yourself killed."

"Yes, Captain," I reply, my voice softer than I meant it.

He watches me for another moment before scanning his access card and disappearing into the concrete building. With a sharp exhale, my breath steaming in the cold winter air, I sit back down and pull out another cigarette. Now that I'm able to think clearly, I reflect back on my outburst and come to feel embarrassed about it. I had thought I was doing so well in changing myself, in straightening out and becoming a good soldier. But I allowed my old self to surface in front of the one person in the world I've ever wanted to impress, ever wanted to make proud. I just hope that I haven't set our working relationship back at all.

...

The next week goes by in a blur. Sure enough, the good week of weather disappeared that night I lost my control in front of Levi and it has been snowing ever since. It has kept us inside the stuffy, cold installation, forcing us to train in the gyms and the training facilities. Unfortunately, that means that I've been restricted to limited practice at the gun range and with the maneuvering gear. Levi doesn't want me out there at all, saying I'm not advanced enough to be able to adjust to the cold and snow, but Eld thinks it would be worse for me not to get any practice. He and Petra have taken me out a handful of times when the snow wasn't falling quite as hard, but it was cold and wet and we couldn't stay out too long after our fingers became numb. Both the guns and the maneuvering gear require a very delicate, sensitive touch, something that can't be achieved with numb fingers. Unfortunately, I didn't listen to Petra and ended up figuring this out the hard way today.

Sitting in the infirmary, I cradle my left arm against my chest while Hanji riffles through a cabinet looking for a numbing agent so she can examine my shoulder. It's already covered in black and blue bruises, and the skin is torn and red with blood. Petra is standing by the wall, chewing on her thumb nail in a nervous gesture. She keeps glancing towards the door.

"It wasn't your fault Petra," I tell her. I swallow hard when I see Hanji pull out a syringe with a long needle. "You tried to warn me and I refused to listen. This is entirely on me."

"I know, but-" she starts to say, but is cut off when the lock clicks and the door flies open, slamming into the wall.

Levi strides into the room, his expression furious. His intense grey eyes fall on me, getting stabbed in my disgustingly bruised and shredded arm by Hanji, then shoot over to Petra. I've never seen him so angry before, even when he's yelled at me for fucking up, for speaking out of line, for questioning him. He wasn't this infuriated when I first met him and called him 'shorty', which had definitely pissed him off. I wonder why he's so mad now. It was just an accident, and I didn't get hurt that badly. I hiss as Hanji moves my shoulder, the numbing agent having not completely taken effect yet.

"What the fuck happened?" he demands, his glare pinned to Petra.

She shudders under his intense glare, and when she opens her mouth to reply, her voice squeaks slightly. "I-It was cold, and his fingers must've slipped on the trigger because he released too much air on his right and spun into a tree. I'm sorry Captain, I should've-"

"You shouldn't have had him out there in the first place," he snaps, cutting her off. "I told you and Eld specifically that he doesn't have the skill to be able to correct for this weather. I gave you all a direct order not to take him out while it was snowing."

"It was my fault, Captain," I cut in before he can tear Petra apart even more. "I begged her to take me out to practice. She tried to warn me that I needed to be more careful but I didn't listen to her. It's my fault I got hurt, not hers."

Levi turns his glare to me, and I swear it's colder than the snow falling outside. But there is something else in his eyes. I can't put a name to it though.

"What are his injuries?" Levi asks, tearing his gaze from me to regard Hanji.

"His shoulder was dislocated," she says, making me wince again as she prods my shoulder. "I popped that sucker back into place when he first came in, and now I'm checking for internal damage. The external injuries look ugly but they aren't serious."

"Will he need to be taken down the mountain?" he asks.

"Only if I can't determine the extent of the damage, or if I find something that needs repair," she replies. She presses her thumb into a number of precise locations on my upper arm and shoulder, and down into my shoulder blade. It's sore and slightly painful, but nothing alarmingly so. Nothing worse than when she had to pop my shoulder back into its socket. I think most of it is coming from the bruise and cuts. "I'm not finding anything, but I am limiting activity for three days. If any pain persists after three days, he should be taken down the mountain, but he seems fine. I'll strap his arm to his stomach to allow the shoulder muscles to heal more quickly."

Levi nods and dry washes his face. "I'm ordering you on leave until Hanji clears you," Levi says after a long moment of thought. "No activity, no training, nothing."

I want to argue, but I don't. I'm learning my lesson. Instead I nod, keeping my mouth pinched shut. Levi seems relieved that I don't argue, and turns quickly to leave the infirmary. He hesitates by the door, but then decides against what he had been thinking about saying and leaves. The room falls silent, which is surprising considering Hanji had been talking nonstop since I got here. Petra shifts uncomfortably by the wall.

"I'm sorry Eren," she murmurs. "You didn't have to take the fall. It really was my fault for taking you out in this weather."

I shake my head as Hanji pulls out a black strappy thing with Velcro and felt all over it. "Don't beat yourself up, Petra."

Hanji wraps the thing around my arm, then across my stomach and around my back. Another strap goes over my right shoulder, effectively pinning my arm to my stomach. Damn. This really sucks. Three days of downtime? What am I going to do with myself? Downtime is my enemy. Downtime is the reason I'm here in the first place. I can't let my old ways consume me. It's only three days, and Levi has shaped me up a lot in the two months I've been here. I'm a new man.

**Levi**

By the time the deployment date arrives, Eren is back to full duty. I was a little worried about putting him on zero activity for three days, afraid that his lack of anything to do would drive him back into his troublemaking, attention seeking ways. But he handles the downtime well, using the time to take a few generic classes and to browse the library's large collection of military themed books and manuals. Only once do I catch him in the gym, attempting one-armed pushups. After I shooed him out with a few choice words, he didn't attempt to enter the gym again.

During my last day at the base before we deploy, I verify with Mike that he'll be training Eren with the rest of his squad while I'm gone. Eren spends that afternoon with me and the rest of the squad in our training room, our maneuvering gear and weapons spread out on the padded floor amidst cleaning chemicals and rags. He helps us inspect and clean all the gear, sitting in silence as he does it. Petra and Oluo quarrel as always, and Gunther makes japes at both of them. Eld just rolls his eyes, making comments and retorts every once in a while. But Eren stays quiet. I can tell he's upset about being left behind, but it's for his safety, as well as that of my squad. We can't afford to be focused on him, worrying about whether he's in the right place or not, whether he's doing something wrong, whether he's giving our position away. He's just not ready and I'd never forgive myself if I let him get killed during an operation.

I don't know what is so special about this brat that's different than any other solider I've had on my squad. I've lost dozens of soldiers in all corners of the world. It's a horrible thing, the high mortality rate of my squad, but I've never seen it as something I had to protect anyone from. They know what they're signing up for. Every solider that has been accepted into my squad has been warned of the risks and of the mortality rate. Maybe it's because Eren hasn't been warned? He has no idea that I've almost never had the same soldier on my squad for longer than a year, whether it be because they get killed or crippled or ask for reassignment. I haven't even told him the full extent of what my squad does. I know he doesn't have a choice on whether he stays here or not, but I feel like he should know. Maybe I'll just never tell him. Maybe I'll leave him behind for every mission. At least he'll be safe here.

I can't do that. I can't protect him, no matter how much I seemingly want to. He's a soldier. This is his job, whether he wanted it or not. And why do I even want to protect him? Why him? Why not any other soldier I've ever had on my squad? I glance over at Eren, sitting beside me, scrubbing hard at a dull spot on the housing of my gear. I can't leave him behind every time. For some reason, he really wants to be deployed. He's so upset that he can't come.

"Starting tomorrow, you will be working with Mike's squad. His squad meets at oh seven hundred in the courtyard every morning. Don't be late and be a model private. Your behavior is reflected back on me so if I hear anything bad from Mike, your life will be hell when I get back."

"Yes, sir," he replies, his voice no louder than a murmur.

"When I get back, we'll train as hard and often as we can, despite the weather," I find myself promising him. "You'll be ready for our next operation."

That seems to cheer him up a little bit and he nods with a smile. After a few more minutes, he sits back from my gear, rolling his head to loosen up his neck. I set down the slide of my dismantled Beretta and scoot closer to him to inspect his work.

"You call this clean?" I snort. "Do it all over again."

...

"ETA ten minutes, Captain," the pilot calls back to me.

I stand, as does the rest of my squad. We quickly get into our mobility gear as the small plane begins to dive. Pulling a small case off the racks above our seats, I click it open and pass out earpieces. Once all five of us have them nestled securely in our ears, I turn on the receiver and stick it into the pocket of my jacket.

"Armin Arlert online for the Scouts Regiment: Operation 845," the young voice says in my ear.

"Good morning, Armin," I reply to our communications coordinator. He's been with my squad for over four years, longer than anyone has ever been associated with my team with the exception of me and Erwin, and I like him better than anyone else we've ever had. He's in charge of keeping us in contact with the Marine Corps. He helps us run our operations, he keeps an eye on us, and he relays information we receive in real time. He's our one lifeline to the United States.

"Good morning, Captain Levi. We are a go here," he says.

"We are a go. ETA... seven minutes," I reply, checking my watch. I take hold of my handgrips, slamming on a set of blades and drawing them. "I know we've run though the plan a hundred times already, but here's my customary before-the-drop rundown. We head straight for the supply drop and we will camp there tonight while Arlert uses satellite imagery to try and determine activity at the base. Tomorrow morning, we begin wave one of reconnaissance: a simple sweep of the premises. Day two will be a closer sweep that will focus on picking up chatter. Day three, if deemed necessary and possible, we will infiltrate. Then we're on our way back to our own frozen mountain."

"Amen," they all cheer, bumping fists.

"Did you get all of that, Armin? Does everyone understand the timeline?" I question.

"Yes, sir," my squad echoes.

"Loud and clear," Armin replies. "Good luck Captain."

"This should be a short in-and-out operation," I tell them. "As usual, don't get-"

"-cocky, no hot-dogging, follow my lead, and we'll be home before we know it," all four of them finish for me. Sometimes I forget how long they have been on my team. Gunther is the newest member and it's already been eight months since he joined. Eld's been here the longest of them- and of any squad member I've ever had- at fifteen months.

After a few more minutes of diving, a short beep sounds, then the side door of the plane unlocks with a loud click. I haul the door open, and winds come rushing in, whipping our half cloaks out behind us. The freezing gusts are like a slap in the face. If I wasn't fully awake yet, I sure am now. The sun has long since set on our location, despite that we woke up well before the sunrise only about a dozen hours ago. We all pull up out hoods and line up by the door.

"You are clear for jump. I repeat: you are clear for jump," Armin says in our ears.

Gunther and Petra dive first, tossing themselves headlong out of the plane. I can feel my adrenaline starting to pump through my veins. This is what I live for. I live for the thrill of diving out of planes without a parachute, of flying through enemy territory using my three-dimensional maneuvering gear, of sneaking around bases teeming with enemy combatants. Oluo and Eld follow a split second after Petra and Gunther. I jump last, taking a deep breath in before sprinting two steps and leaping from the plane. The wind beats at my face and body, ripping my hood from my head. I hold onto it with one hand as we fall, and fall, and fall. My squad is spaced a couple dozen feet apart, falling at different heights as we make our way towards the snowy forest. The plane was only a couple hundred yards or so from the ground and, as soon as we get close enough, we fire our grappling hooks into the trees below us. I feel one of mine take hold, the other recoiling quickly back into my belt as the trees rush up to greet us. My harness tightens around my thighs and back as I reach the bottom of my decent and my momentum shifts forward instead of down, all the force exerted onto my left hip. I glance around to make sure the rest of my squad made it, which they did, then I shoot out in front of them.

"Supply drop is five klicks northwest from your location," Armin's voice says in our ears. "Target location is seventeen klicks due north of the drop."

"Rodger that," I reply, shifting my course to the left and racing through the trees.

The ground and trees are covered in a thick coating of snow. My fingers are stiff on the handgrips, but this isn't something I've never had to deal with before. I know how to adjust my grip, my speed, and my pressure on the triggers to adjust to the frigid temperatures. As quietly as our gear will allow, which is pretty damned quiet, we race through the trees, keeping our hoods up and our heads down. But even if someone does see us, we're moving too fast for them to be able to make out that we're even human.

We reach the drop in only a few minutes, although it takes us another few moments to find it. Armin guides us using his equipment and the GPS tracker imbedded in the supply crate. Sometimes the crates shatter on impact, even though they are designed to handle the force. But this time, the thick canopy of the forest and the dense snow cushioned the fall and the two boxes remain intact and nestled in the snow. Gunther and Oluo grab a case between themselves, and Petra and I grab the other while Eld starts to hunt for a good place to set up camp for the night.

One box contains weapons, such as replacement guns, extra magazine clips, cases of ammunition, a shit ton of extra blades, and plenty of spare gas canisters. The other box holds things of survival: food, water, a couple of maps, a flashlight, a small space heater, sleeping bags, and a tent just large enough to fit the five of us. Eld and Gunther set up the white tent, nestling it into an overhanging jut of the mountain slope while Petra and Oluo get the space heater up and running and the sleeping bags unrolled and arranged inside the tent. I inspect the weapons, making sure nothing broke during the drop, then get to work burying the crates half with snow near the tent. Eld helps me shovel away snow and Gunther begins to pass out food rations.

Huddled in the small tent, eating our rations and being warmed by the space heater, I roll out a map and go over in more detail our timetable for tomorrow. Armin is online, listening as I go over our plan. Everyone gets their positions and their assignments, and everyone commits them to memory. Then, I go over our night schedule. I pull back the sleeve of my jacket and the long sleeve of my button down to check my watch.

"When is the sunrise, Armin?" I ask.

"Oh nine thirty, give or take a few minutes," he replies.

"That is in about... ten hours. We'll each take a two hour shift," I tell them. " You all know the drill. I will take the last shift and wake you all before the sun rises. Eld, you take first watch. Then Gunther, Oluo, and Petra."

"Yes, sir," they reply in unison.

"Eld, start your watch. Everyone else, get some shut eye," I instruct, already climbing into my own sleeping bag. "You too, Armin."

"Good night, Squad Levi," Armin's voice replies. The line stays open though. It won't close until we're stateside again, just in case something happens in the night. It's never been an issue before, but I don't want to be unprepared when it finally does happen. Combatants have gotten through our perimeter before. There's nothing to say that it can't happen at night.

Eld ducks out of the tent, taking the one flashlight with him and plunging us into darkness. I listen to the sounds of the other three settling in for the night. I lay awake for a long while. I never can sleep very well during operations, my mind constantly going over operation parameters, timelines, and other such things. But this time, I find my mind not on the operation, but on Eren. I know he won't be using his maneuvering gear while I or any of my team are not there to monitor him, but I still have this foreboding feeling that he's going to hurt himself. That brat likes to push himself past his limits. His accident with the maneuvering gear a week or so ago proved that. I just hope that he'll listen to Mike's orders and behave himself.

...

I wake up to the sound of Petra's soft voice calling my name. It didn't take her very long to learn not to touch me when she wakes me up during these operations, to stand back and use only her voice. As it is, I still end up with my Ka-Bar clenched in my fist as I sit up. Petra hesitates by the flaps of the tent until I fully wake up, then enters and crawls into her sleeping bag. I rub my eyes, then quickly holster my weapons before stepping out into the freezing morning air. I flip on the flashlight and check my watch. Seven twenty-two. I open the weapons crate and quickly strap on my maneuvering gear, taking off into the trees.

Using the maneuvering gear in the dark is always dangerous due to limited visibility, but even the limited light from the flashlight strapped to my right canister helps, as well as my decade of experience with the gear. I shoot around the established perimeter once, then land on a somewhat sturdy branch in a tree next to the tent and simply watch.

It's very quiet up here in this mountain in the middle of nowhere. It sort of reminds me of the base, which I consider for all intents and purposes my home. It's relaxing, despite the reason why I'm here. As I sit in the tree, making rounds every few minutes, I try to focus on our objective for today, but a certain green-eyed recruit is on my mind making it very hard to concentrate. I didn't even bring the brat on the operation and he could still be the death of me.

**Eren**

Five days... It's not a long time, and Levi even said specifically that it was a short mission, but without him around working me into the ground, and Petra to cheer me on and mother me, and Eld to teach me new lessons, it's going by so slowly. So slowly... And these training exercises Mike is making me run with his squad are so boring. Hard, but boring. We have too much down time, and I'm not allowed to even practice with my maneuvering gear. He doesn't push me and challenge me the way Levi does. And he creeps me out a little. Why did he sniff me and smirk? Does he sniff everyone? And I supposed I've become too used to my one-on-one lessons with Levi, because working in a group with Mike's whole squad is driving me crazy. The handful of times Levi has trained me with the rest of his squad was okay, but there are only five of us. Mike's squad has twenty-five privates. It feels like school, like I could fall asleep in the back of the class and the teacher wouldn't even notice for a while.

I feel restless. The setting sun paints the sky red and orange as I walk around the base, a lit cigarette between my fingers. It's only been two days. Levi still has two more days at the location, then the flight home. I look at my watch. I wonder what time it is wherever he's at. I wonder if the mission is going well. Are they gathering the information they need? Are they all okay? It's hard to imagine Levi getting in trouble or getting hurt though. He's so strong it's ridiculous. But I can't help but worry about him. And the others too, but my mind seems to fixate on Levi.

I exhale a puff of smoke into the cold air. The weather is clear tonight, but it looks like it could rain later. At first I liked this change of weather. It's much different here than in the central valley of California. It's always so hot there. But now I'm starting to miss it. I don't really like this constant cold and rain and snow. What I wouldn't give for a day of sunshine and ninety degree weather.

"What are you doing out here?" Mikasa suddenly asks from behind me. I startle, nearly choking on the smoke I had been inhaling. "Sorry. Why aren't you getting dinner with the rest of the squad?"

"I could ask the same of you," I reply.

She falls into step beside me and we continue to walk around the compound. "I saw you weren't there and went to look for you. Are you okay? You've been acting weird since Captain Levi left."

I shrug. I can't tell her the real reason why I've been sidetracked. I can't tell her that I'm worried for my captain because I have a crush on him. So I tell her the next best thing. "I'm just pissed that I couldn't go, I guess," I say with a shrug, taking a drag of my cigarette.

"I'm sure Captain Levi had his reasons. He knows what he's doing. They don't call him humanity's strongest soldier for nothing," she reasons.

I exhale the smoke through my nose and flick the ash on the end of my cigarette to the ground. "I know, but that doesn't change the fact that I feel like I've been abandoned again."

Shit. I hadn't meant to add 'again' to the end of that. I don't want her to think that was directed at her. A glance over at her reveals that she heard it, and she absolutely thinks I was talking about her. She ducks her head, pulling her red scarf up to cover her nose and mouth. But that doesn't hide the guilt burning in her eyes. I stop walking and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Mikasa, I didn't-"

"Yes you did mean it, and you should," she cuts me off, refusing to look at me. Instead she bores a hole into the ground with her intense glare. She could probably give Levi a run for his money with that glare. "You're right. I did abandon you. I didn't want to, you have to believe that. It's just... I couldn't stay in that town forever. I didn't want to end up like everyone else did: working the farms or the factory. I had to get out. I just wish I could've taken you with me. I wish you had enlisted with me four years ago. I'm sorry Eren."

"Don't apologize. You did what you had to, and I can't- and don't- blame you for that," I tell her. It's mostly true, and I'm desperately working to make that the truth. I really am trying to forgive her, and I almost have. It helps that I'm here with her now, that I too ended up escaping that town that promises no future.

"Is that when you started smoking?" she questions softly, looking pointedly at the cigarette between my fingers.

I frown, lifting my boot so I can snuff the almost dead cigarette out on the heel. I put the butt in my pocket to properly dispose of later. I never used to be so concerned with where I flicked my cigarette butts, but I think Levi's clean-freak habits have started to rub off on me. "Yeah," I reply in all honesty. I think it's about time I came clean to her. "Smoking and more. Smoking is the only thing that lasted though. And even that is starting to fade. I'm down to only one every one to two days. I really am trying to quit."

"Good," she says, and I can hear the smile in her voice, despite the scarf covering her mouth.

"There's something else I need to tell you," I say. She looks up at me in concern. "I'm not here because I enlisted. I'm here because... because I got arrested and the judge gave me a choice between ten years in prison or a year of military service. Commander Erwin apparently presented the choice to the court, and he put me in this squad so that Captain Levi could straighten me out."

Her eyes are wide and her scarf falls away from her mouth, revealing her lips parted in shock. I stand there quietly, nervously shifting from foot to foot, awaiting her response. Suddenly, she's hitting me. Her fists pound into my chest and arm. She's furious. I raise my arms to protect myself, taking a few steps backward until my back hits a tree.

"You... idiot!" she screeches at me. "Ten years?! In _prison_?! What the hell did you do?!"

"It wasn't even that bad! I just busted into that old abandoned hotel and skateboarded in the pool," I quickly explain. "Apparently Judge Kotowski was tired of my shit because he threatened to bump my charges up to second degree burglary with the intent to vandalize and resisting arrest if I didn't agree to military service."

She stops hitting me, falling silent and still. She's breathing hard, and is still glaring at me, but her eyes aren't so furious. As she calms down, I slowly lower my arms. I'm still wary of her though. Who knows when she's going to try and attack me again.

"You're an idiot, Eren," she finally says with an exasperated sigh. "I'm glad that you are on the right track now though, even if you were forced onto it."

"I am too," I say in all honesty.

She sighs again and pulls her scarf back up to cover her nose and mouth with a shiver. "It's cold out here, and you look exhausted. You need a good night's rest. I'll see you bright and early tomorrow for training."

I nod, but don't make any move to follow her. I watch her until she disappears from sight, then I exhale and look up at the stars speckling the sky. I'll get a good night's rest when Levi comes home safely.

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><p><strong>Aww poor Eren is worried about Levi. How cute! XD<strong>

**So this weekend I'll be at Sacanime in Sacramento. If any of you are going to be there, feel free to find me and talk to me :) I'll be cosplaying as Eren on Friday, Levi on Saturday, and Jean on Sunday. If you don't know what I look like, I have a few pictures on my tumblr zoey04ereri. tumblr. com**


	7. Chapter 7

**Ugh, so I almost put off posting this chapter for another day or two. Usually I give my self two days to run through and edit my chapters before I post them, but I've been going through a really hard time these last few days and haven't gotten around to editing. I did one pass through of edits today, but that's it, so I'll apologize ahead of time for any typos or awkwardly phrased bits and pieces. Sorry! Anyways, enjoy :)**

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><p><strong>Chapter 7: Eren<strong>

Only two more days. Levi and his squad should be arriving back at the base late tomorrow night, perhaps into the following morning. We haven't heard a single word from them though, absolutely nothing. Is that normal? Or did something go wrong? I try not to think negatively, but I can't help it. My life has programmed me to expect bad things.

The halls of the barracks are busy as it approaches seven, everyone getting ready for their morning routines. I see Mike stepping out of his room, the one next to Levi's, and I change my course to intercept him. I haven't asked anyone about Levi, but it's driving me crazy and making it hard to concentrate, so I decide to ask Mike. He would know if we've gotten any word from Levi, right?

"Good morning, Jaeger," he says.

"Good morning, Captain. Have you heard anything from Captain Levi's squad?" I ask, falling into step beside the tall captain as he continues down the hall.

"No," he replies. "When our squads deploy, we drop off the radar completely. There is no contact with anybody except for our assigned communications officer. That's part of being a top secret squad."

"Oh, okay," I reply.

"Have faith in your captain," he tells me. "He's the strongest soldier I've ever met. And he's survived this long in that damned squad, hasn't he?"

"What do you mean?" I ask with a frown. His words confuse me. "Do most people _not_ survive in that squad?"

Mike looks over at me, a blonde eyebrow raised. "Levi never told you?"

"Told me what? What are you talking about?" Now I'm getting worried. What has Levi been hiding from me?

"It's not my place. He must be keeping it from you for a reason. Ask him yourself when he returns," Mike tells me, with a tone that says he's done talking about the subject.

I don't question him further, letting him continue toward the stairs. Now I'm even more nervous. Is this squad even more dangerous than I thought? I remember Levi said that the maneuvering gear is useful for stealth and 'other things'. I had assumed that 'other things' meant killing people. Is that what they do? Do they assassinate people? Do they get in trouble often? What did Mike mean when he said that Levi has survived this long? Do most people not survive this long in Levi's squad? What about me? I have far less training than anyone in Levi's squad. What are my chances? It makes more sense now why Levi didn't want me to go with them on this assignment.

Out in the courtyard, a very light snow is falling, melting before it touches the ground. It's quiet and cold, and I take my gloves from my pocket to pull them on. The privates in Mike's squad are already lining up, so I fall into step between Mikasa and Jean. "Good morning, horse face," I greet the taller private.

Mike calls everyone to attention at that moment, preventing Jean from retorting. I smirk and Jean frowns sharply. I hear Mikasa exhale in exasperation. Mike leads us in our morning routine, and I trudge through it. My mind isn't on the exercises though. As always, it's on Levi.

This attraction is getting out of hand, but I don't know what to do about it. I was hoping that some time away from Levi, while he was deployed with the rest of his squad, would help ease away these feelings. I was hoping that not seeing him, not seeing his intense eyes, his strong body, his handsome face, and not hearing his smooth voice would mellow out my attraction. But instead, I'm missing him instead of forgetting about him. If anything, my feelings are growing. This is bad. I need to figure out how to get rid of these feelings. I've done a pretty good job of burying them so far. Hopefully if I keep burying them, they'll eventually disappear all together. They have to. I can't leave. I'm stuck here for another about ten months. After that, I'll be able to leave the military, and I can put Levi behind me forever. That thought hurts more than I'd like to admit.

"Jaeger!" Mike's voice snaps, pulling me from my thoughts.

I focus on the rest of the squad around me and see that they're in pushup position. I quickly drop to my hands and knees. Jean snickers at me as Mike starts to lead the count. I shoot him a glare, then focus on the count. I need to keep my mind on the here and now, not on Levi. He'll be fine. More than one person has told me that he's humanity's strongest soldier, and even though I haven't seen him in action personally, I can readily believe it.

After a few more exercises, Mike orders us to take laps. I fall to the back of the back, sneaking back away from Mikasa. I'm so bored, and Mike's training is not challenging me. I need to make this exciting again, or at least I need to work on the exercises Levi has been teaching me. When the group reaches the back of the compound, I make my move. I ease to the edge of the group, and when we pass a small group of pine trees, I duck behind one of them. Waiting until the sound of their tromping boots fades, I hurry off into the trees. Levi's squad is all about stealth, right? I'm just practicing.

I have a bad feeling about this deep in my gut. I know that this is the kind of shit I was pulling on the streets, the kind of behavior Levi has been working hard to get rid of. But the guilty feeling is subconscious, and my excitement and adrenaline easily drown it out. Pulling my large pocket knife out of a pocket on my cargo pants, I practice keeping low and silent as I sneak through the forests, further and further away from the base. I duck and roll behind a tree, peeking out around the bark. Standing, I spin and throw the pocket knife. It spins through the air, the blade embedding into the bark of a tree a dozen feet away.

My adrenaline is coursing, my heart hammering. I'm having fun. I haven't had fun since Levi left. Mike's a good captain, but he's so boring, and his exercises aren't nearly as challenging as I need them to be. Levi understands that I need to be pushed and challenged. Mike doesn't. That, and Mike just doesn't have the time to work with me one-on-one the way Levi does. His squad is just too big to do that with anyone, let alone the temporary member that he's just babysitting.

I rip the knife from the bark and take off through the trees. I practice all of the moves, all of the techniques that Levi has been teaching me. So I'm not slacking off, I'm not sitting on my ass, doing nothing. I really am working. I'm practicing. I'm just not practicing with Mike and his squad.

But as I run through the trees, ducking and rolling, tossing my knife, and avoiding imaginary enemies, I can't help but feel guilty. Maybe I should go back and try to sneak back into Mike's squad. Maybe he hasn't noticed that I'm gone yet.

A flash of metal catches my attention, and I round a tree to see the glint of a chain link fence in the distance. So there really is a fence. I've never seen it before. I didn't realize how far I've run. But now that I'm thinking about it, I am tired and slightly out of breath. I walk forward, looking around for guards. I don't see any, so I walk up to the fence. It's tall with coils of barbed wire on top. I see the back of signs posted along the lengths of it, most likely warning against entering.

I really should be getting back to Mike's squad now, before my guilt eats me up too much. I turn from the fence just as the sound of barking hits my ears. A dog comes running at me, teeth bared and snarling. Old habits take over and I spin around and take off along the fence, trying to get away from the dog.

"Stop, private!" a voice calls after me.

At that moment, the dog leaps and slams into my back. I sprawl to the ground, a twig catching my cheek and leaving a deep gash. The heavy Shepherd stands on my back, still snarling as the sound of heavy boots run towards me. My heart is pounding and my mind is racing. Shit. I shouldn't have run. It was habit though, and I couldn't correct myself in time. I shouldn't have been out here in the first place. I should've stayed with Mike's squad. Levi is supposed to be home tomorrow night. Why couldn't I just be patient and bare with it until then? Levi is going to be furious.

I exhale sharply and drop my forehead onto the freezing ground. I could toss the dog off easily enough, doubtlessly not before a few bites, but I could do it if I wanted too. I don't though. I'm not going to fight. I've already screwed myself enough already. I just hope that Levi doesn't get too mad and send me back to the court to be sent to federal lockup. Damn it. I really fucked up this time.

"Private Ness here," the private on guard duty says into his radio.

"Go Private Ness," a crackly voice replies.

"Tell Captain Mike that I found Private Jaeger."

"Rodger that. Message has been relayed," the voice says. "Private Ivan, Private Dieter, cover Private Ness' stretch while he escorts Private Jaeger back to base."

The private says a few words to the dog and the weight on my back disappears. Before I can even move, one hand grabs my right arm and the other my left shoulder, and hauls me to my feet. I don't resist him, despite the pain in my shoulder as my arm is pulled too far behind my back. I can feel the blood dripping down my left cheek, but I don't try to wipe it off.

My mind is racing and the guilt is eating me alive as we trudge back to the base. The snow is falling harder now, actually sticking to the ground. The German Shepherd walks in front of us, dragging his leash and occasionally glancing back at me. I am so screwed. I can't believe I let my old self come out so much to get me so deep in trouble. Levi is going to tear me apart. I think it is that fact that has me the most upset. He's going to be disappointed in me, and knowing that hurts. I should be trying harder to make Levi proud, not causing trouble for him. I've already put so much work into making him not regret keeping me on his team, and I just threw it all out the window with one stupid move.

As the base comes into sight, I see Mike standing by the wall of the mess hall. He has his arms crossed over his chest and a frown on his face. Private Ness passes me over to him, then heads back to the fence. Towing me by my arm, he leads me into the mess hall and down to the second floor. He doesn't say a single word to me, which makes it that much worse. He leads me into the medical bay, pushing me towards a bed.

Hanji looks up from her computer at her desk, then stands. Her smile slowly fades as she gauges the tension between Mike and I. She actually frowns as she approaches the two of us, which is unusual. "What did you do, Eren?" she questions me.

"I fucked up," I reply, my voice quiet. I'm trying to keep my voice from cracking as my emotions threaten to boil over.

She sighs and pulls a chair up in front of me. She pulls a small cart over to the side of the bed, picking up a cotton swab and a bottle of hydrogen peroxide. "Tell me what happened," she urges softly.

"I was bored," I reply, glancing up at Mike who is still hovering by my elbow. Now I feel a whole different kind of guilt. He's here babysitting me instead of working with his squad. All of those privates are suffering because of my incompetence. "I wanted to work on the stuff Captain Levi was trying to teach me, so I snuck away. But I was just about to come back, I swear! The dog knocked me down before I could though."

"I appreciate that you want to work on the exercises your captain taught you, but he placed you under my command while he's gone," Mike tells me. He doesn't seem so mad anymore, but he's still frustrated.

"I apologize for my insubordination. There is no excuse," I tell him as Hanji takes hold of my chin and tilts it up so she can clean the wound. It stings and I flinch.

"No, there isn't," he replies.

Everyone falls silent as Hanji rubs an antibacterial liquid on my cheek. It's a tense silence, Mike still angry and me still feeling guilty. Hanji doesn't probe any further, not wanting to mess with the tension. She applies a few butterfly stitches to my cheek, then dismisses me. Mike takes my arm again and leads me from the medical wing. Once we're outside, he leads me to the stairs and down to the fourth floor. He leads me into the barracks, then stops outside my room.

"Give me your access card," he says, holding out my hand. "You're restricted to your room until Levi returns."

I want to argue, but I stop myself before I dig myself into a deeper hole than I'm already in. I nod, reaching into my pocket and pulling out my access card. I hand him the card and without another word, he sticks it in his pocket and heads back down the hall. I exhale sharply and enter my room. Now, instead of being bored while working under Mike with Mikasa and the others, I'm stuck in my room with nothing to do. I do deserve it, it just sucks though.

Dropping down onto my back on the bed, I toss an arm over my eyes. Damn... One small, bad decision, and now I could be shipped off to prison for ten years. This is the reason I'm here in the first place. I can't seem to control my impulses, and unfortunately my impulses aren't on the right side of the line. Levi has been working to adjust those impulses, directing them in the right direction. But obviously I'm not there yet. How mad is he going to be? How disappointed is he going to feel? Will he kick me out? Will he continue to try and straighten me out? I don't know the answer to any of those questions, and that scares me.

...

As quietly as I can, I sneak down the hall towards the stairs. It's almost midnight, and the base is quiet. Everyone other than the privates on guard duty are asleep. Dressed in my fatigues, I sneak up the stairs and into the mess hall. I won't be able to get back into the building on my own, but I'm hoping to not be alone when I return. Levi will let me in. He's supposed to be landing tonight, and I want to be there when he does. I want to be the first to greet him when he lands, but I also want to be the first one to tell him about what happened two days ago. I want him to hear it from me, and I want to explain, before he hears it from Mike or anyone else.

Once I get outside the building, I take off across the courtyard towards the dirt road that leads to the landing strip. It's a long drive in a car, so it'll take me a while to get there. Hopefully I'll make it before Levi does. Sprinting up the road, I pop up the collar of my jacket to try and shield my neck from the freezing air.

About half way up the road, I hear the rumble of Jeeps making their way up the mountain. I dive into the brush and clamp a hand over my mouth as the vehicles approach. Peeking through the shrubs, I see four jeeps pass me on the road, each with one driver, heading towards the landing strip. They must be on their way to pick up Levi and his squad. Their presence is going to make it hard for me to carry out my plans. Oh well. I need to try. And I still want to be there when he lands.

Following in the direction the Jeeps disappeared in, I'm almost at the ridge when they come back. Again, I hide in the brush to avoid being seen. Why are they coming back? A peek reveals that only one of them is returning, carrying four soldiers. So they were just dropping off three jeeps for Levi and his squad. Perfect. Once the jeep disappears from sight, I continue up the road to the landing strip. When I reach the ridge, I see that the landing strip is empty and the three jeeps sit side by side next to the tarmac. I walk up to the jeeps and slide into the passenger's seat of one of them. Now, all I have to do is wait.

My nerves keep me on edge as I wait for the plane to appear. Glancing at my watch, I see that that it's just after one in the morning. They should be here any minute now, and my heart is racing.

After only a few minutes, I see lights in the sky, and hear the faint hum of a plane engine. They're here. I keep myself seated in the jeep as the plane descends, the engine growing louder and the lights growing brighter. My heart feels like it's trying to commit suicide by throwing itself against my ribcage. This is it. All my worries about how Levi is going to react are about to either come true, or be discredited. Taking a deep breath, I stand as the plane rolls down the tarmac and comes to a stop just in front of me. I step up to the edge of the asphalt.

It's a few minutes before the hatch unlocks with a loud click, the door slowly swinging down to make a ramp. Levi is the first one to step out of the door. The lights that line the tarmac illuminate everything, including the hard expression on his face. He's about half way down the ramp, carrying his maneuvering gear case in one hand and a sack thrown over his other shoulder, when he sees me standing beside the jeep.

He freezes for a minute, and I watch as his eyebrows draw together and his mouth turns down in a frown. He's furious. Does he already know? How? I thought he had zero contact with the base while he was gone.

He continues down the ramp, his stride fast and deliberate. I instinctively take a step back, but then stop myself. I need to face him. I can't run from him. Not if I want to make this right. He shifts the sack to the same hand as his maneuvering gear case and, when he reaches me, he reaches out with his now free hand and grabs a fistful of my uniform. He doesn't break his stride, dragging me backwards towards the jeep. I struggle to keep my feet underneath me, nearly falling back on my ass a few times.

"Cap-"

"Don't," he snaps at me, his deep voice like ice.

He doesn't say another word, and I don't dare speak either. I can barely think. He's so angry... He tosses his case and sack into the back of one of the jeeps and drags me around to the passenger's side, shoving me into the seat. Rounding the front of the vehicle, he climbs into the driver's seat and cranks the key to start the jeep.

Peeling out onto the tarmac, he races down the landing strip towards the road. I glance over at him occasionally, keeping a death grip on my seat and the frame of the jeep. His grey eyes are burning in anger, and he keeps them pinned on the winding road in front of him.

The silence is killing me. I wish he would just say something. Does he really know what happened? Maybe his operation didn't go well? Maybe he's mad that I'm up past curfew with no reason to be? I can't tell. I need him to say something. Anything.

"What the fuck were you thinking?" he suddenly demands of me. "Would you care to explain why, as I'm on my way home from deployment, trying to keep Gunther from bleeding out in the back of the plane, I get a call from Mike reporting that you snuck out of his squad and then ran from a guard? Isn't that what you were in court for? Fucking evading arrest?"

I open my mouth to apologize, to beg for forgiveness, but something he said clicks in my head and I hesitate. "Wait... what happened to Gunther?"

"He got shot," he exhales, rubbing at his tired eyes before dropping his hand back onto the stick shift. His knuckles are white on the steering wheel. "That's why I want an explanation as to why I had to deal with an insubordination report instead of focusing on my dying squad member."

The guilt slams into me full force, doubling me over. I press my hands to either side of my head and try to take deep breaths. My whole body is shaking. Levi was trying to save Gunther, and my insubordination distracted him from that. My idiotic slipup could've cost Gunther his life. Levi had enough on his plate already without me having to add to it.

"I'm sorry, Captain," I finally manage to say into my knees before sitting up. "I had no idea... Is Gunther going to be okay?"

"He's in a hospital in Spain undergoing surgery. We couldn't wait for him to arrive stateside first. As soon as he's out of surgery he'll be transported to a hospital here." Levi runs a hand through his hair, then looks over at me for the first time since we got in the Jeep. His expression is softer now, not so hard and... lethal. "What happened, Eren? I thought you were doing better. You've never pulled shit like this with me, so why now? Why with Mike? And what happened to your face?"

I rub at my face, scratching at the butterfly stitches still adorning my cheek. "I know this is no excuse, but Mike's squad is so... boring. His exercises don't challenge me the way yours do. He doesn't push me. You always work me so hard, force me to push my limits, open my eyes to what I'm truly capable of. And we work one-on-one a lot. Mike's squad is so big, and so impersonal. I feel like just another sheep in the flock. That day, I got bored of being a sheep. I snuck out of his squad and ran into the trees to work on the things you've been teaching me. I just wanted to keep practicing your techniques. I had just decided to go back to Mike's squad when that guard set his dog on me. I didn't mean to run, but when a hundred pound dog comes flying at you, you can't help it. I didn't get very far though. The dog jumped on me and I fell. That's how I cut my cheek."

Levi listens to my explanation, his features an expressionless mask. When I finish, he doesn't say anything for a long time. But the tension between us has eased, and I feel more comfortable now. My heart rate has slowed, and I can actually breathe now. Finally, I can enjoy the fact that Levi is back from deployment.

"Although I don't condone what you did, it honestly could've been worse. I'll talk to Mike and the private that apprehended you, and if what you say is true, you're punishment won't be so severe," he tells me. "But listen up, brat. If anything like this happens again, you can bet your ass Erwin will be receiving a report, and whether he removes you from my squad will be up to him."

I swallow hard and nod. "Sorry, Captain."

He snorts. "Stop apologizing."

"Yes, sir."

It's quiet for a long minute, and I simply sit back and enjoy Levi's presence, before he speaks again. "I always give my squad the day after we get back from an operation off," he informs me. "And seeing that two of them are still overseas, it wouldn't make much sense to run exercises."

"Two? Who else got hurt?" I say, interrupting his thought.

"No one. Eld stayed with Gunther," he replies, then continues with what he had been saying. "Anyway, I'm going to give you a choice. You can either work with Mike and his squad tomorrow, or you too can enjoy a day off. Although, considering the current situation, I should work you twice as hard as I usually would. When did Mike confine you to your quarters?"

"Two days ago, around midday," I reply.

"You already had a day off then," he growls. "But tomorrow is my day off too, and I don't want to have to babysit you. I should stick you back with Mike for the day."

"You wouldn't have to babysit me," I reassure him quickly. "I'll do my exercises in the gym by myself. Or let me practice with the maneuvering gear. I won't be a bother to you, and I won't have to be a bother for Mike anymore either. Please just let me practice what you've been teaching me."

"Someone has to keep an eye on you," he counters. "Especially if you're going to be working with the maneuvering gear." He's quiet for a long while, and I can tell he's thinking. "Do whatever you want. Just don't get in trouble."

I exhale in relief. I'm not sure if I'm on good terms with Mike or not, so I'd rather not work with him if I can help it. I'd rather work on the things Levi has been teaching me, and if I can't work with Levi, I'd much rather work by myself.

As we sit in silence, the conversation I had a few days ago with Mike comes back to me. He told me I should ask Levi, so I do. "Captain? What else does this squad do other than recon? Mike was telling me how dangerous this squad's work is, and he made it seem like most people don't survive in this squad for long. What was he talking about?"

Levi sighs, then glances over at me for a split second before looking back at the road ahead of him. "I guess it is time you know. Yes, my squad's main objective is reconnaissance, which when done at our level is very dangerous and often puts us in the line of fire, but our other objective is sometimes target elimination. We take out people the United States perceives as a threat. That too is very dangerous and because of that, the mortality rate of my squad is very high. Most people don't last a year, whether it being because they are killed or they ask for reassignment."

I listen to his words, trying to comprehend what it is he's saying. I should be worried by his words. I should be scared. I should want to leave his squad, right? I mean, I didn't sign up for this. I was forced into this squad without knowing fully what they do. But for some reason, I have no desire to leave Levi's squad, and I have no fears about going on future assignments. The mortality rate thing scares me, as does the target elimination part. But it doesn't seem to change the fact that I want to be deployed. I want to fight alongside Levi.

Levi glances over at me after a long minute or two of silence. "Well?" he questions. "Are you scared yet?"

I return his look, and I let excitement shine in my eyes. "I don't want to die, and I don't know if I'd be able to actually kill someone, but am I scared?" I let the question hang in the air for a long moment before answering with a smile. "Nope."

...

When I wake at six the following morning, I see something sitting on the floor just on my side of the door. Standing, I rub my eyes as I walk over to the door and pick it up. It's my access card, and there is a small note taped to it. _Don't get yourself hurt brat_, it reads in a simple, yet elegant script. Tossing the note into the garbage, I drop the card on my desk and head to the closet to get dressed and ready to start my morning routine. For a very short moment, I am tempted to enjoy a day off like Levi offered, but eventually I decide that a day off isn't good for me. I need to train, I need to work. It's the only way I will stay out of trouble.

It feels so good to be heading up to the gym instead of out to the courtyard this morning. Now I can do more demanding warm up exercises without freezing my ass off in the snow. Why can't Mike just use his training room for his morning exercises? Lord knows that room is big enough. Pulling open the doors to my squad's gym, I hurry inside. I'm a little surprised to see Petra there, hanging from the pull-up bar. She's dressed in her dark green USMC sweats and a black sports bra. Her feet are bare, and a thick white bandage is wrapped around her right bicep. She looks over as I enter the room and smiles at me before continuing with her pull-ups.

"I thought Captain gave you the day off," I say.

"Days off are for wimps. I see Levi didn't murder you and bury your body in the woods," she teases, dropping down from the pole as I begin to stretch the muscles in my arms. She wipes her brow with a towel, then points it at me. "You know, he really seems to like you. I've never seen him get so soft on anyone."

I feel a tinge of color burn my cheeks and I duck my head as I shrug. "He's not soft on me. He's a sadist. You should see the exercises he tries to make me do."

"That's not what I meant," she says with a laugh. "When it comes to training you, he's hard because he wants you to get to our level as soon as possible. Our job is hard, and very dangerous. He doesn't want you to get hurt, or even killed, because he didn't push you hard enough during your training. But as far as your behavior goes, he is soft with you. Trust me, I've been on this squad long enough to know that the Captain's attitude towards you isn't normal. Maybe it's because you're so young. Maybe he feels like he has to shield you."

I grimace. "I'm not that young. And I can't be _that_ much younger than the Captain," I argue.

"How old are you?" she questions, sitting on a bench press bench, the towel in her hand dangling between her knees as she rests her arms on them.

"Twenty-one," I reply.

"And how old do you think the captain is?" she asks.

Her raised eyebrow and knowing smirk make me second guess my previous assumptions, but I voice them anyway. "Well he looks like he can't be older than his mid-twenties. But he said he's been on this squad for ten years, so maybe twenty-eight? Twenty-nine?"

She laughs and I look over her in surprise. Am I really that far off?

"He's thirty-four," she tells me, then laughs at the shocked expression on my face. He can't be that old... I mean, not that he's old, but he honestly looks like he could be my age. Well, damn. I'm attracted to a man thirteen years my elder. Should that bother me more than it does? It should help rid me of my feelings for him, but it doesn't. Nothing changes. "He'll be thirty-five on Christmas."

That catches my attention, drawing my thoughts away from trying to figure out how Levi looks so young. "His birthday is on Christmas?"

She nods. "That's what his file says, anyway."

That's only a couple of weeks away. I start to think of something I can get for him, but then I remember that I'm on a secluded mountain ridge, in the middle of nowhere, with no way off. Unfortunately that means I won't be getting him anything. I wonder if he'd even want anything. He doesn't seem like the kind of guy that would want a lot of attention on his birthday. Or any day, really.

I finish up with my warm-ups and Petra sticks around, talking and laughing with me. She even spots me at the bench press. When I finish, she motions for me to follow her. She leads me out of the gym and down the hall to our squad's training room. The room is empty, mats covering the ground. It changes a lot depending on what exercises Levi has us work on.

"Kick off your shoes and your jacket," she tells me, closing the door behind us. "I'm going to teach you some things."

I do as she says, then join her in the center of the room.

"How much gymnastics can you do?" she asks.

I'm a little surprised by the question. I don't know what she is going to say or teach me, but that's not what I was expecting. "Uh, I can do a cartwheel. Sort of."

She exhales. "Wow, we have more work to do than I thought, then," she says. "Well, when using the maneuvering gear, sometimes a lot of acrobatics are necessary. It's easier to learn the moves on the ground where they are harder and require more concentration and balance. Yeah, you'll fall a lot, but at least you won't hit a tree. You already have enough bad experiences with that."

I laugh and she takes a step back.

"Show me your cartwheel."

I frown, then quickly plant my hands on the ground and swing my legs up and over my body. When I land, Petra snorts in laughter, covering her mouth with her hands.

"You call that a cartwheel? Here, try it more like this."

It only takes her a few minutes to teach me how to do a 'real' cartwheel. After that, she talks for a long time about how to tighten and twist my core which will allow me to do other flips and twists in the air. She tells me I have the muscle to be able to do it, she's just worried about my athleticism. She says I lack grace.

"You should see Levi when he's using his maneuvering gear. I've never seen a more graceful man. He has such fluidity and control... But then again, he does have a muscle strength that can rival Mike Tyson."

I raise an eyebrow at her. "He doesn't look like-"

"Muscle _strength_," she says, cutting me off. "Not muscle _tone_. Not all strength is visible."

She teaches me how to do a simple front flip, even demonstrating a few times. She makes it look so easy, but when I try, I land flat on my ass. She leans over me, trying to look concerned, but her laugh gives her away. She helps me to my feet, and for the next few hours, I try again and again. Every attempt ends like the first one, and my ass is really starting to hurt. She tries to give me some pointers, even suggests that I start at a run, and after a few more attempts, I finally manage to find my feet and stay on them.

She applauds me, skipping over to my side. "Good! Now do it again!"

I groan, but do as she says. After a land a few of them in a row, she lets up.

"That will be easier in the air when you have a lot more momentum and a lot more vertical space. But you need to be careful trying these things in the maneuvering gear. One small slip up could end up a lot messier and painful than falling on your ass on a padded floor," she warns me.

I nod. "What else can you teach me?"

She smiles and demonstrates a few other, more complex flips. She has names for all of them, and I watch in amazement how she sprints across the floor, then tumbles into a round-off and vaults into these insane twisting flipping things. I hope she's not expecting me to do that. I would break my neck if I tried even the easier ones she demonstrates.

"Those are just a few," she says, jogging back up to me, panting. "They're not so hard once you figure out how to do them."

"What she's not telling you is that she was a gymnast before she joined my squad," Levi's voice suddenly says from the doorway. I startle, spinning to face the shorter man. When did he get here? He's dressed in a loose pair of dark grey sweatpants and a black tank top. He's wearing the jacket off a set of fatigues and the light brown combat boots.

"Going casual today, Captain?" Petra smirks.

"It's my day off," he retorts, moving to stand at my elbow. "As it is yours. Why are you here, trying to kill my new recruit?"

"Oh, I would never try to kill this cutie," she replies, feigning a hurt expression. "He's having fun, right Eren?"

"I, uh..." I stutter, trying to formulate a response that is either truthful, or won't hurt Petra's feelings. But Levi comes to my rescue, resting a hand on my shoulder.

"I'm sure he's having loads of fun," Levi retorts, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "But there are other things he could be doing that are more fun."

"... there are?" I question, looking over at Levi.

"I need to get out of this stuffy concrete box. I'm going to go shoot things if you want to come with me," Levi offers. "Later we can work with the maneuvering gear if you would like. You just have to promise me that you won't try any of those damned flips she showed you."

"That sounds great!" I say in all seriousness. I've only practiced shooting a handful of times, but I actually find it fun. I also want to practice more with the maneuvering gear. And, I could never turn down an offer to hang out with Levi, no matter what it is he plans on doing. Even if it were something boring like reading a book, I'd sit there and watch him relax all day long.

* * *

><p><strong>Aw *sing-songy voice* Eren is in looooove X3 And yay for a little Eren and Petra bonding.<strong>

**Again, sorry for any typos or awkwardness. Next week's update should be better.**

**zoey04ereri. tumblr. com**


	8. Chapter 8

**I almost forgot to post this today ._. But I didn't! So enjoy! Yay for Tuesdays!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 8: Eren<strong>

Two weeks after Levi returned from his operation, Gunther has been transported back stateside where he is now recovering in a military hospital on the east coast close to his family. Eld returned to the base after only three days, reporting good news of Gunther's positive prognosis. We've gotten a lot of snow up here on our mountain, so all the squads have had very lax training, mostly enjoying some downtime. Even Levi hasn't been working us very hard, instead giving us most afternoons off.

It's about a week until Christmas, and Levi's squad- with the exception of Gunther- is sitting around a table in the mess hall. It's almost eleven, and everyone else is in their quarters, leaving us alone in the mess hall. Levi sits sideways slightly in his chair, one arm resting over the back while he sips at his tea with the other hand, holding the cup by the rim instead of by the handle. I find the oddness of it kind of cute, actually. Oluo and Petra are, like always, mocking each other, while Eld sits back with a newspaper, skimming through the articles. I just sit in my chair, listening to Oluo and Petra bicker playfully, and occasionally sneak glances at Levi.

Footsteps sound on the stairs leading down to the other floors, and both Levi and I look up. A private still dressed in his full fatigues, even at this late hour, appears on the stairs and makes his way towards us. He must be from the security room, or on guard somewhere. Everyone off duty has dressed down for the night already. He has a piece of paper in his hand and he passes it to Levi when he reaches our table.

"A transmission from Commander Smith," he tells Levi, and without another word, he turns his back on us and heads back down the stairs.

"Is it a new operation?" I question curiously.

"No," Levi replies, his grey eyes scanning the page. "Operation instructions are dozens of pages and come in a sealed envelope. Erwin wouldn't dare send them by transmission where anyone can get their hands on them. No, this is our dismissal notice."

"Our what?" I ask at the same time Petra whoops in excitement.

"Christmas vacation," Eld explains. "We usually get some time off around the holidays if we don't have any pending operations."

Levi nods. "This one is a long one. Must be because we just completed an operation and he's still wrapping it up. Eighteen days. The plane will be here at oh nine hundred tomorrow morning. If you're not on it, you're not going home," Levi says as the other three stand and leave the room.

I just stare at the wooden tabletop, picking into it with my pocket knife and trying not to let my disappointment show. I can feel eyes on me and I look up to see Levi staring at me. I feel my cheeks color and I duck my head back down, focusing on the tabletop and the tip of my pocket knife.

"You don't look very excited," he observes. His voice is quiet, as if anything louder would shatter the calming silence that has surrounded us now that Petra and Oluo have taken their banter somewhere else.

I just shrug, not looking up at him. "I have no home to go home to," I tell him. "I'll just spend my downtime here, I guess."

"Oi, stop messing up the table," he says. "You can come home with me if you would like to. Everyone deserves to get off this damned mountain every once in a while."

I look up at him, wide eyed. What did he just say? Did I imagine that? It is late. I am tired. It very well may have been my tired mind playing tricks on me. "You... have a house?"

"Of course I do, brat," he says, setting his cup down on the table and straightening out in his chair so he can face me. "I don't do this shit for free, and I, like every other human being, enjoys time off every once in a while. So? Would you like to come with me or not?"

I nod quickly. "Yes, Captain. That would be great."

"Very well," he says, leaning back in his chair. "Like I told the others: the plane leaves at oh nine hundred tomorrow morning. If you're not on it, you're not coming."

I nod, but then think of something, and before I can stop myself, the thought is out of my mouth. "Are you sure it's okay for me to leave? This is my alternative to prison. I always just assumed I wasn't allowed to leave, because, well... what if I'm a flight risk?"

"Are you?" is his question.

I shake my head. "I wouldn't run."

"And I trust you not to. If you do, a warrant will be put out for your arrest, and you'll be sent to prison. So basically it's your choice. You can stay with me and enjoy some time off, or you can stay here, or you can take off the second we leave the base only to be hunted down and dragged to prison."

"I won't run," I repeat.

"Good," he says as he stands, turning towards the stairs. He lifts a hand up over his shoulder as he begins his descent. "Goodnight, Eren."

"Goodnight, Captain," I reply, my voice soft as he disappears from sight.

...

The following morning I'm up early to pack up the little bit of clothing that I have. I only have two shirts and a pair of tattered, ripped jeans. Everything else is clothing I got here: fatigues, uniforms, and USMC branded training clothes. But I pack everything except for my uniforms and fatigues into my old backpack. At least it's something. But it's all I have, I realize as I look around my empty room. I haven't even touched my ratty backpack since I got here except to remove my packs of smokes, of which I'm almost out. If I remember correctly, I have about twelve dollars in the backpack somewhere. I'll have to buy some when we get to back to civilization.

I slowly sit down on the edge of the bed, my backpack hanging between my legs. I'm about to spend eighteen days with Levi, in Levi's home. Where does he live? Does anybody live with him? Does he have a girlfriend? A wife? ... a boyfriend? I had never thought about that. I mean, he practically lives here, so I never considered that he could have a loved one waiting for him back home, wherever that may be. But would he really invite me to stay with him if he wanted some alone time with a loved one, something he doesn't get to do often?

I try not to think about that as I dress into my fatigues. When I saw Eld in the hallway on the way to the bathroom this morning, he was wearing his fatigues, so maybe that's what we're supposed to travel in. Is it supposed to be like a publicity thing? Oh well. At least they're comfortable. I run a brush through my hair a couple of times before giving up and tossing it into my backpack.

I can feel my nerves starting to build up as I glance at my watch and see that it's almost eight forty-five. The jeeps will probably be leaving soon to get to the landing strip before the plane arrives. Picking up my backpack, I take a deep breath and leave my quarters. I head up to the second floor and to the garage. I show the private guarding the door my ID, then swipe it to let me into the dim garage. A jeep is already pulling out of the garage, up the ramp, and I catch a glimpse of Petra's red hair in the back before it disappears. Another jeep is running, and I see Levi leaning up against the frame, his arms crossed over his chest. He's dressed in a set of fatigues as well, something I've never actually seen him in.

"About time you showed up, brat," he says. Then, he walks around to the passenger's side and climbs up onto the seat. "You drive."

"M-Me?" I stutter.

"Yes, you. Eld told me he taught you how to drive a manual," Levi says.

"Yeah, but it was in a classroom. I never actually practiced," I argue.

"Well now you will. Get in," he insists.

I slowly slide into the seat and put my left hand on the steering wheel, my right on the stick. I think back to Eld's lessons, then press the clutch, shift into first, and slowly press the gas as I release the clutch. The jeep lurches forward, but I manage not to stall it. Levi grips the seat and the frame of the open-air jeep, and I cringe in embarrassment. I shift into second as we leave the ramp. This time the jeep does stall.

"Shit," I curse, trying to start the jeep again.

"Relax, lead foot. Be more gentle with the peddles," Levi says.

I nod and try again. The jeep lurches forward again, through the thin coat of snow on the ground. After a few more stalls and a couple more tips from Levi, I manage to get the hang of it. And once my nervousness fades, I feel a smile pull at my lips. This isn't that bad. This is actually kind of fun. Although, I think I like watching Levi drive a stick better than actually driving one myself.

When we get to the top of the ridge and the tarmac comes into sight, Levi directs me over to where two other jeeps are parked. Three privates stand by the jeeps, waiting to take them back down the ridge to the base. Petra, Eld, and Oluo are unloading their things from one of the jeeps and climbing up the ramp of the plane already parked on the tarmac. I pull in next to the other two and Levi hops out, grabbing a dark green duffle from the back. I follow, grabbing my small backpack and slinging it over my shoulder.

"The plane is taking us to Denver International Airport," Levi tells me as we climb the ramp. "From there we all go our separate ways. Erwin already has our flights booked. And don't worry, I had him book an extra seat on my flight for you."

I nod as we step into the small military plane. Levi steps into the cockpit and I take a seat next to Petra in the middle of the row. Oluo sits on her other side and Eld takes the seat at the end of the row on my other side, leaving a space between him and me for Levi. After a few minutes, the engine of the plane revs up and Levi leaves the cockpit. He plops down in the empty seat next to mine, draping his arm on the back of my seat and lifting one ankle to rest on the opposite leg. His casual posture surprises me, and his knee brushing mine makes me duck my head to hide the color in my cheeks.

The plane rumbles down the runway and takes off. Levi remains relaxed, not removing his arm from behind my back. He talks with Eld for a few minutes, and I listen to Oluo and Petra exchange their usual banter.

"How long until we get to Denver?" I ask when Levi finishes his conversation with Eld.

"The flight takes about an hour," he replies, looking over at me. There is a hint of amusement in his grey eyes when he asks, "You don't get air sick, do you?"

"No," I reply quickly. "Well, I've only been on a plane once before, and that was on the way here. I slept the whole flight..."

Levi chuckles, and my eyes widen. I've never heard him laugh. I barely ever see him smile. It's a soothing sound, and I wish he'd laugh more often.

"Of course you did," he says, an amused smirk still on his face. "Well if you're going to throw up, do it that way." He gestures towards Petra with his chin.

"Eh?!" Petra exclaims. "Don't you dare throw up on me!"

Oluo, Eld, and Levi are all laughing and my cheeks burn. "I'm not going to throw up," I argue, ducking my head.

The plane ride is short. But my anxiety makes it feel twice as long as it really is. I can't tell if it's the flying or the impending two and a half weeks with Levi, hopefully just the two of us, in his home. Exhaling sharply, I lean my head back against the wall of the plane, trying to ignore Levi's arm behind my shoulders and his knee occasionally brushing against mine. Maybe I shouldn't have accepted his offer to go to his place with him. This won't help me put my attraction to him behind me. This could only make things worse.

When the plane lands on the tarmac of Denver International, I follow Levi and his squad off of the plane. We're out in a far corner of the airport, away from the dozens of planes crisscrossing all over the tarmac and runways. We climb down the ramp and towards a van waiting off to the side. I look around at the huge expanse of the airport, at the planes taxing and taking off and landing, at the shuttles bustling between terminals, at all the activity.

"Oi, pay attention, brat," Levi calls after me.

I look to see that they've already loaded their bags into the back of the van and are climbing in. I quickly toss my backpack in the back and climb into the van as well. I sit beside Eld in the middle row, Petra and Oluo already settled into the back and Levi climbing into the passenger's seat beside the driver. The van starts across the tarmac and we ride in comfortable silence.

When the van gets to the terminal, we follow Levi from the van and into the building. Levi checks the five of us in at the front desk, and returns with a handful of plane tickets. He scans the tickets as we head to security, passing them out as he walks. He hands two tickets to each of us.

"Our plane will be back here to pick us up at sixteen hundred hours on the third. One of those should be your return flight here to Denver, so make sure you don't lose that ticket, and that you get on your flights," Levi tells us, handing me my two tickets.

"Yes, sir," three voices reply in unison.

I glance down at my tickets. The first one reads 'Denver International Airport (DEN) to Logan International Airport (BOS)'. Boston? I've never been to the east coast before. Well, I've never been anywhere except for that small town in the California valley and the mountain top in Colorado.

As we move through the airport, people stop to thank us, or salute us, or to shake our hands. I keep my head ducked, not used to the attention. Levi nods his head in acknowledgment and Petra smiles at people. They look like they're all used to this already, and they all look appreciative of the gratitude people are showing them.

When we get through security, Petra pulls me in for a sudden hug. "Have fun, cutie. Enjoy your holidays with your family," she says. So they don't know that I don't have a family. They don't know that I'm going with Levi to his home.

Eld shakes my hand, also wishing me a happy holiday, as does Oluo. After our goodbyes, Petra and Eld head to one terminal, Oluo to another, and I follow Levi to an even different terminal. The airport is crowded, everyone traveling for the holidays. Levi and I weave our way through the crowds. Levi seems edgy as we push through the mass of people. I try and keep up with him, trying not to lose sight of the shorter man. But ironically, the camouflage fatigues make him stand out in the crowded terminal.

When we reach our gate, Levi drops his small duffle onto a seat and takes a look around, pulling off his fatigue cap so he can run a hand through his pitch black hair. He tosses the cap onto his bag and starts towards the walkway again.

"I'll be back. Stay here and watch our shit," he says. "Do you want anything?"

I shake my head. I'm too nervous to eat. Levi disappears into the crowd and I take a seat, leaving one free seat between me and Levi's duffle. I drop my backpack on the floor by my feet. Removing my own cap, I set it on my legs, then lean forward and rest my elbows on my knees.

"Mommy it's an Army man!" a young voice squeals, and I look up to see a young boy, maybe four or five years old, running towards me. A woman I assume to be his mother hurries after him, trying to stop him. "Hi Army man!"

I smile. "What's your name?" I ask the boy.

"Tommy," he says, a huge smile splitting his face. He's looking me over, a look of pure admiration in his eyes. "I want to be an Army man when I'm big!"

The mother catches up to her boy and grabs his arm. "I'm so sorry, sir," she says to me, starting to tow him away.

"No, it's fine," I reassure her.

I pick my cap up off my lap and place it on his head. His eyes widen and he laughs, lifting his small hands to touch the cap. When I shrug out of my jacket and hang it on his shoulders, he looks like he's going to explode with happiness. He squeals in delight, running around in a circle. The jacket nearly drags on the ground, his arms swimming in the long sleeves. Suddenly, the kid leaps into my lap.

"Picture with the Army man, Mommy!" he says, bouncing up and down on my lap.

"Is that okay?" the mother asks tentatively.

"Of course," I chuckle.

When the mother pulls out her cell phone, I put a hand on the boy's shoulder and flash a peace sign with the other. I smile and, when the flash goes off, the kid scrambles out of my lap.

"Okay, honey, give the nice man his jacket back," the mother tells the boy.

He shakes off my jacket and hands me the cap as I pull the jacket back on. I'm still smiling, as is the boy. Suddenly, Levi is there, a cup of coffee in his hand. He hands me the cup and kneels on one knee in front of the boy, reaching into a pocket on his cargo pants. He pulls out a sticker with the Marine Corps seal on it and hands it to the little boy. The boy clutches at it excitedly as Levi ruffles his hair and stands.

"Thank the nice men, Tommy," the mother says.

"Thank you Army men!" the boy giggles, then he hugs Levi's legs before running off, his mother chasing after him.

I still have a smile on face as Levi takes a seat beside me, draping his arm over the back of my seat again. He seems to like to do that. It makes all the nerves that I had forgotten about return to the forefront of my mind.

"That was fucking adorable," Levi says, taking his coffee back from me.

"Since when do you carry around stickers?" I ask him with a raised eyebrow.

"I do when I travel. Kids like them. It's a publicity thing the military likes us to do," he explains, then looks over at me. "You're a natural with kids."

I shrug. "I've always liked children. They're so innocent and small. This shitty world hasn't influenced them yet, hasn't screwed them up beyond help yet. I like to remind myself that I used to be like that too. I like to think about how innocent I used to be before my mom died and I started down the slippery slope that lead to drugs and alcohol and has landed me in Juvie and now here."

Levi is quiet for a minute, watching me with those intense eyes. "I understand what you're saying," he finally says, looking straight ahead of him. "Despite all the shit my path has dragged me through, I can't say I regret where I've ended up because of it. Do you?"

"No," I reply, my response automatic. "No. My life may have sucked up until now, but I'm happy with where I ended up. I'm happy that I'm finally doing something worthwhile with my life."

"Good," he says, taking a sip of his coffee.

_"Flight 850 to Boston is now boarding, Flight 850 to Boston is now boarding. First class, handicapped, and military passengers may now board,"_ the intercom says, echoing through area surrounding the gate.

Levi stands, pulling his duffle strap over his shoulder and positioning his cap back on his head. We weave our way through the people crowding by the gate. When we make our way through, the woman at the gate takes our tickets and scans them before handing them back to us, wishing us a good flight and thanking us for our service. We board the plane and find our seats, side by side. Levi lets me have the window seat, and we both take our seats. The ticket says the flight will take about four hours. Four more hours, plus however long it takes us to get from the airport to Levi's house, and then it'll be just the two of us for over two weeks. I don't know if I should be excited or scared.

...

Boston is amazing. It's snowing when we land, but it's a light dusting of snow that actually looks beautiful. As we drive through the streets in the back of a cab, I stare out the window, taking in the lively city. I can feel Levi watching me, but I don't care. I've never seen a city like this before. The buildings are so tall, there are so many lights, and even in the cold and snow there are still so many people out on the streets.

"Did you grow up in Boston?" I ask Levi, not tearing my eyes from the city.

Levi snorts. "Like I'd ever return to the shithole I grew up in. No, you've probably never heard of the underground hell I am from."

"Then why Boston?" I ask, finally looking away from the city to look at him.

He shrugs. "No particular reason. I like the cold, I like the ocean, and I like big cities. I picked one on each coast, Boston and Seattle, and flipped a coin. Boston won."

I nod, looking back out the window. I would love to live in a big city like this once I leave the Marines, if I ever do. Maybe I'll do what Levi did. Maybe I'll buy a place somewhere and use it as my vacation home when I get breaks from my service.

Fifteen minutes after we leave the airport, we're driving by what looks like a baseball stadium. A banner on a side street we pass says 'Welcome to Fenway Park'. Another banner on the side of the stadium says 'Home of the Boston Red Sox'. Wow... a profession baseball stadium. And it's only a couple hundred more yards before the cab stops in front of the address Levi had rattled off. Levi pulls his wallet from his duffle and slips the cabbie a few bills before climbing out of the backseat. I follow behind him, stepping out of the car and looking around. There is a lot of foot traffic, and I look back down the road to the baseball stadium.

"It may not be a house, but it's home," Levi says, gesturing to the tall apartment building in front of us.

"It's great," I say, an excited smile pulling at my lips. "Is it exciting living near that stadium?"

"It's obnoxious," he replies. "But sometimes, when they're playing, I'll open the windows and listen to the game."

"Will there be a game while we're here?" I ask, hopeful.

"No," he replies, pushing through a door leading into the lobby of the building. "Baseball season usually ends around late October and won't start again until late March."

"Damn," I exhale in sincere disappointment.

"Welcome home, Levi," a man sitting behind the front desk says. "Brought a friend with you I see? Someone from your unit?"

Levi nods. "Yes. Keith, this is Eren. Eren, Keith," Levi introduces, continuing towards an open elevator.

"Nice to meet you, kid," Keith says.

"You too, sir," I reply with a tip of my hat.

"Polite one he is," Keith chuckles. "Glad you could get some time off for the holidays, Levi."

We enter the elevator and Levi presses the button for the sixteenth floor, the top floor. The doors close and Levi leans back against the wall. Now that the sight of the city isn't distracting me, I can feel the nervousness creeping back into the forefront of my mind. Levi doesn't say anything as we ride the elevator up to the top floor, and I don't dare break the silence. I don't trust my voice right now.

When the doors open, Levi steps off the elevator and into a short hall. There are only two doors, one on the right end of the hallway and one on the left. Levi turns left. He pulls a small ring of keys out of his duffle and unlocks the door.

His apartment is beautiful. I've never been in such a nice place before. The front door opens up into a large, open room. To my immediate right is a small kitchen with a long, black marble countertop bar jutting out of the wall just in front of an opening into a hallway. The appliances are all sleek and black, and look like they're brand new. I'm sure they're not used very often. The dark brown wood floors in the entry area turn into a thick black carpet in the back half of the room. A black faux leather couch sits against the right wall, a wood coffee table in front of it, across from a flat screen television hanging on the left wall. A brown wooden entertainment center sits beneath the TV full of movies and video games, a gaming consol and what looks like a DVD player and a cable box sitting on top. Despite the dark colors of the room, it's lightened by the floor to ceiling window along the entire back wall. A glass door opens up into a balcony that overlooks the bustling city.

The apartment is spotless, not a thing out of place. It's immaculately clean, which doesn't surprise me considering who's apartment this is. Levi closes and locks the door behind us.

"Take your shoes off," he tells me, pulling off his own boots and leaving them next to the door. "I'll show you around. There's not much to show you, because it's not a big apartment, but I might as well."

I remove my boots and follow him deeper into the apartment. I keep my eyes out for any sign of other people. It doesn't look lived in. I don't see any other pairs of shoes near the door, there isn't a single dirty dish in or near the sink, no books or cups on the coffee table, and not a sound coming from the apartment. It would seem that he lives here alone, and that makes me happier than it should.

"Kitchen, obviously, and living room, obviously," he says, gesturing to each one in turn, then heads down the long hallway to the left of the room. "These are just closets. That one has blankets and towels in it that you're welcome to use. The washer and dryer are in there. This is my office, and that is the spare bathroom. This is the guest bedroom, your bedroom while you're here. And that one at the end of the hall is my room."

I follow him down the hall, keeping track of which room is which. After he points out his room, he pushes open the door of the guest bedroom. A queen bed sits against the left wall, covered with a thick white comforter. The same floor to ceiling window from the front room lines the far wall. And just like the front room there is a glass door that opens out onto a balcony that I'm now assuming wraps around the entire outer wall of this apartment. The carpet is the same plush black as the living room, and a short dark wood dresser sits against the left wall. I walk inside and Levi hesitates in the doorway.

"I'm going to change and wash up. I always feel so disgusting after traveling. Make yourself at home," he says.

"Thank you," I say before he leaves. "You didn't have to do this. You have to put up with me all the time at the base. You should've enjoyed your time away from me." I force a laugh, trying to cover up how I'm really feeling. Levi doesn't laugh though. He just shrugs.

"I enjoy your company."

He leaves the room without another word and I'm left staring after him with wide eyes. Did he really just say that? Was he being serious? He really enjoys my company? It takes me a minute to realize I'm grinning like an idiot. At least he doesn't think I'm an annoying brat like everyone else in my life seemed to think.

I close the door and set my backpack on the bed, then move across the room to draw the curtains shut. Pulling out my pair of grey USMC sweat pants and dark green tank top, I change out of my fatigues. After folding them neatly and setting them aside, I grab my shampoo and cross the hallway into the bathroom.

I let the hot water of the shower soak into my hair, running in rivulets down my face. The bathroom has the same dark features as the rest of the apartment. Black tiles cover the floor and inside of the shower. The countertop is the same black as the bar separating the kitchen and living room. I like it. All of it. The whole apartment is dark and sleek, just like Levi. It's comfortable.

Shutting off the shower, I step out of the glass door and onto a plush white shower mat. Snagging the white towel I had grabbed from the hall closet, I start to dry myself off when there is a knock on the door. I freeze in towel drying my hair.

"Yes?" I say after a minute.

"I'm stepping out for a bit," Levi calls through the door. "I need to restock my fridge, and there is a grocery store across the street."

"Wait," I call after him. "I want to go with you. I'm almost done."

"Okay," he says.

I listen to his footsteps fade away as I quickly finish drying myself off. Pulling on my sweats and tank top, I hurry into the bedroom to dig my dozen or so dollars out of my backpack and stuff it in my pocket. Before heading into the front room, I grab my fatigues jacket and pull it on. It's the only jacket I have. Levi is sitting on the couch, one ankle resting on the opposite knee. He's dressed in a loose pair of dark blue jeans, a black T-shirt, and a dark green zip-up hoodie. He's reading a book, but looks up when I enter the room. Sticking a bookmark in his book, he closes it and places it on the coffee table.

"I'm ready to go, Captain," I say, pulling at the hem of my tank. I feel like I should put on an actual shirt, but I don't really have one that's not ratty or says USMC on it.

Levi snorts as he stands. "We aren't on the base anymore, brat. Call me Levi."

"Yes, Cap- I mean... yes, Levi."

He snorts in amusement, then looks me up and down quickly. "Do you not have any civvies?"

I shrug. "I came straight off the streets, remember? I have a few, but they're old and tattered."

"Hn," he murmurs.

He's thinking about something, but he doesn't say anything else, making his way to the front door. He picks up his keys and wallet from the small table next to the door and I follow him out of the apartment. He locks the front door and I follow him out of the building. On the street, I see the small grocery store he had mentioned, and right next to it is gas station with a convenience store. Perfect.

"I'm going to get something from the gas station," I tell him. "I'll wait out front of the store."

He shoots me a questioning look, but doesn't ask, instead nodding. "Do you need any money?"

"No," I reply quickly. "I have... I have some money."

He nods again and walks into the grocery store. I head next door and step into the convenience store. Stepping up to the counter, I cringe at the prices of the cigarettes. I can only afford one pack. I'm about to blow my last few dollars on a pack of smokes. This one has to be my last one. I'll get more serious about quitting. I'm almost there already.

The cashier slides me the pack of smokes and I hand him the crumpled bills. Leaving the store, I open the pack and pop a cigarette between my lips. I slip the pack into my pocket, then feel for my lighter. Shit. I left it in my backpack. I'm about to pull the pack back out and put the cigarette back when I see someone walk by with a lit cigarette between his lips. I jog up to him.

"Could I please get a light, sir?" I ask him.

"Yeah, no problem," he says in a thick Boston accent.

I put the cigarette back between my lips and he lifts a lighter to the end of my cigarette. Once it's lit, I thank him and he continues on his way. I step back up to the grocery store, leaning back against the cold brick wall. I take a long drag and exhale slowly. I watch the people walk by, hurrying along the sidewalk to get to their destination quickly and get out of the snow. It's still falling very lightly, melting before it hits the ground. It's leaving everything wet and slick. I take a deep breath of the city air before taking another drag of my cigarette. I'm already loving this city. Even in the middle of winter, it's still busy and energetic. Christmas lights are up in the trees lining the road and Christmas themed decorations sit in shop windows. It's beautiful, and I love it.

"Oi," Levi suddenly says from my elbow. "Take some of this shit."

I look over to see Levi standing there, a bunch of bags hanging on his arms and a six pack of beer in each hand. I quickly snuff out my cigarette and toss it into an ash tray before grabbing one of the six packs and some of the bags from Levi.

Back in his apartment, I help him put the groceries away, then sit down on one of the bar stools while he gets things together to make dinner.

"You're twenty-one, right?" he asks me, rummaging through the fridge.

"Yeah," I reply.

"Good," he says, emerging with two beers and popping the top off of each, handing one to me. He takes a swig of his own before turning back to the stove.

I sip at my beer, watching Levi as he moves around the kitchen. This is a new side of Levi, and I'm glad I get to see it. I love his commanding, military persona, but this is a nice change, seeing him relaxing at home, cooking over a stove and drinking a beer.

"So is there anything you want to do while you're here?" he asks.

I shrug, but then realize he can't see that. "Well I don't know what there is to do around here. I've never been in a big city before. So whatever you suggest. And if you don't want to do anything then that's cool too. This is your home, your vacation. So it's whatever you feel like doing."

"I'll find some things for us to do," he says.

I sip at my beer with a smile, excited for Levi to show me around this amazing city. Watching him work over the stove, I find myself admiring his lean frame beneath his almost form fitting T-shirt. He had removed his hoodie when we got back to the apartment, and I watch the way his muscles move beneath the skin of his bare arms. I find myself picturing those arms on either side of me, holding his toned body above mine as we lay in bed, those muscles straining and working as he-

No. I need to stop that train of thought right now. I glance down at the beer in my hand. Maybe alcohol isn't such a good idea right now, or at all during the duration of my stay.

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><p><strong>DO YOU SEE WHERE THIS IS GOING GUYS? BECAUSE I DO.<strong>

**Oh and for those who haven't noticed, I changed my URL on tumblr. I'm now at zoey04ereri. tumblr. com**


	9. Chapter 9

**So it's weird waiting a whole week to update this fic. I'm not updating Shattered Facade on Fridays anymore, so it seems like forever between posts now... That thought just popped into my head so I thought I'd share. Heh sorry guys for my awkwardness XD Oh and speaking of awkward, I totally edited this chapter in the library at my university today. Some guy came and sat next to me at the table halfway through and instead of holding off editing my gay smut fanfiction chapter like a normal person, I totally just turned my laptop away from him and kept on editing XD Just thought I'd share that with you guys too.**

**BUT ANYWAY. IT'S TUESDAY. AND DO YOU ALL REMEMBER WHERE THE LAST CHAPTER LEFT OFF? BECAUSE I SURE AS CRAP DO. I'M EXCITED FOR THIS GUYS. ARE YOU?**

**And I know, I know, lots of Eren POV, but I feel like Eren's POV fits better during this part. But the next chapter will start with Levi's POV, so yay! This chapter is kinda short, but it's pretty much entirely smut, so hopefully that makes up for it? Hopefully?**

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><p><strong>Chapter 9: Eren<strong>

The next few of days pass by in a blur. The first morning, I had woken up to find Levi gone. He returned not long after though with two bags that he gave to me. They had civilian clothing inside of them. A couple pairs of jeans, a few T-shirts, and even a couple casual button downs. I promised I'd pay him back later, but he had dismissed the idea quickly.

Levi planned a few things out that kept us busy every day, all day long. I was surprised when, after suggesting we drive around downtown and me questioning the cost of a taxi, he said that he has his own car. I was even more surprised when, in a small parking garage behind the building, his car key unlocked a sleek black BMW. I've always loved cars, even so much as keeping a list of dream cars in high school, a list of cars I knew I'd never in my life be able to afford, or even get the chance to ride in. This particular BMW was number four on my list, if I recall correctly, and I was more than thrilled that I got to at least ride in one. The purring engine and they way he handled the stick was a real turn on. I tried to keep my eyes on the city around us, but it was very, very hard.

Levi showed me around downtown, gave me a tour of Fenway Park, even drove me out to Lexington and Concord. I'm really enjoying my time with Levi, even when we're just in his apartment watching movies or playing video games. We stay up late nearly every night, mostly talking about each other, our lives, and just random things. I learn that Levi is very secretive about his life before he joined the Marines, but after that point in his life, he's very open. I wonder what it is he's trying to hide.

After a couple of days, I even manage to convince him to buy a small Christmas tree which we decorated together, despite his grumbling about how much he hates the holiday. I wonder if it has anything to do with his birthday. With the tree decorated and sitting pretty in the corner of the family room by the television, I feel a small pang of guilt because I don't have any money to buy Levi a present, for either Christmas or his birthday. I feel bad because he's done so much for me and I can't return the favor at all.

The night of Christmas Eve, we're sitting in his family room, him sprawled out along the entire length of the couch and me sitting on the floor near his head as we play Halo. We had been talking, exchanging casual conversation as we played the game, but for the last about half an hour we've been silent. A quick glance at the clock on the wall reveals that it is now an hour into Christmas. I almost say something to Levi, but decide not to. He always gets quiet and grumpy when I mention his birthday, so I'll just leave it for tomorrow. Rather... later today.

When we finish playing, Levi shuts off the consol and television and stands with a stretch. I watch his lithe frame stretch, the muscles moving and sliding beneath his skin. The hem of his sweatshirt lifts to reveal a thin strip of pale skin above his hips. It's nearly impossible to tear my eyes from him. Once he leaves the room with a muttered 'goodnight', I drop my head into my hands and rub viciously at my eyes.

"Dammit Eren, get it together. It hasn't even been a week yet," I growl at myself.

But a small part of me knows that I won't be able to get it together. This attraction I have for my captain is getting stronger and stronger, and staying here in his apartment with him is not helping the situation. It's only compounding it. And, as I watched Levi walk away, I realized one thing: it's no longer just a sexual attraction I have towards him anymore. These emotions go so much deeper than that. I... I think I'm falling for my captain.

I pound a fist into my forehead. Damn it! This can't be happening. This is so bad. I need to talk to him about this. What I really need to do is request to be moved to a new squad. Staying in his squad won't help this situation. As much as the thought hurts, I know it's true, and I know it needs to be done. So with a racing heart, I stand and make my way down the hall towards Levi's room.

I hesitate in front of the door, my fist raised to knock, but it's a full minute before I can gather the courage to connect my knuckles to the wood. My heart is pounding in my ears and my whole body is buzzing with nerves.

"Come in," Levi's smooth voice calls back.

I tentatively open the door, but don't step inside. He's half way through undressing for the night, standing by his laundry basket wearing only his dark sweat pants. Okay, that's not helping at all. He's half turned to the door, waiting for me to say what I need to say and leave so he can finish undressing.

"Uh, Captain?" I start to say, but then the words get caught in my throat. This was a bad idea.

"I thought I told you to call me Levi while we're not at the base," he says, turning to fully face me, crossing his arms over his beautifully toned chest. "What's wrong, Eren?"

"I, uh..." I swallow hard. Just spit it out. "I think I need to be transferred to another squad." There it is. No going back now.

Levi frowns, his brow drawing together. "You do realize you don't have a choice any longer, right?" he questions me, his tone now hard and serious, the same tone he uses at the base. "Is it a problem with my leadership?"

"No, of course not, you're an amazing captain," I reply quickly.

"Then what is it? Are you having problems with someone on my squad?" he asks, then his eyes narrow and he looks dangerously suspicious. The look in his eyes actually scares me a little. "Is someone harassing you?"

"No, it's nothing like that," I say, wanting to dismiss whatever thoughts are going through his head right now that are making him look so lethal.

"Then what is it, Eren?" he presses, taking a few steps towards me until he's only about a foot in front of me.

"I, uh... I have... feelings for someone, feelings I have tried unsuccessfully to get rid of. I am afraid they will hinder my performance in your squad." My pulse races and I feel like I'm about to hyperventilate.

He frowns. Is that a hint of disappointment I see in his eyes? Is he disappointed because he has to kick me out of his squad? Why is he disappointed?

"I know Petra can come across as overly kind and even a little flirtatious but-"

"It's not Petra," I quickly cut him off. I take a deep breath and steel my resolve, then trudge forward. "It's you."

Time seems to stop as I wait for him to punch me. His intense grey eyes widen, and every mask, every wall, every facade he has that keep his emotions mostly concealed all the time fall away. So many emotions flicker across those deep eyes all at once that I have a hard time recognizing them. My whole body is tense, waiting for the disgust, the anger, the revulsion, but they don't come. Instead I see confusion, surprise, and... relief?

Finally, Levi collects himself again and I am shocked to see a smile start to pull at his lips. He takes another step towards me, bringing himself right in front of me. My breath catches in my throat. "You are such a brat," he whispers.

Without warning, his lips fuse to mine, his arms wrapping around my waist and pulling me against him. My heart explodes in my chest and it takes me a minute to respond. This can't be real, can it? This must be a dream. I'm expecting to wake up on the floor in the living room, having fallen asleep while we played video games. But I don't wake up. And those firm, warm lips against mine are definitely real, as are those calloused, yet soft hands easing up under my shirt. This is real. This is most definitely real.

I finally manage to make my lips respond, and I kiss Levi back. I move my hands into his hair, running them over the short fringe of his undercut then up to run through his longer, silky mop of hair. Our lips move together, and when he bites at my lower lip, a shiver runs down my spine and I part my lips for him. Our tongues dance, and I willingly give control over to Levi, letting his tongue explore my mouth. I'm somewhat aware of him turning us, and moving me backwards, but it doesn't completely register until the back of my legs hit the edge of his bed. He pulls away then, just long enough to take my shirt and pull it off over my head. I take that split second opportunity to look into his eyes and the emotions I see flickering in those deep grey depths are emotions I'm not used to seeing, at least not in his eyes. I see desire, elation, relief, and most of all, lust.

His lips find mine again, his eager hands falling back to my hips, and then I'm falling. He lands above me, his strong arms catching himself. As we position ourselves further up on the bed, I let my hands touch him, wander up and down his beautifully sculpted chest and abs. When I run my hands up his back, I can feel the calloused skin that matches the pattern of his body harness. I can feel the shift and strain of the muscles in his shoulders as he moves above me.

His lips move from mine, and I almost complain until they find the sensitive spot on my neck just under my jaw. His lips explore my neck, sucking and biting, sending shivers up and down my spine. I feel him shift, his knees coming up to rest on either side of my hips to keep him balanced while his hands resume their wandering of my body, a body I am actually quite proud of now, thanks to his vigorous training. His long fingers lightly skim down my chest and abdomen, leaving trails of burning fire in their wake. When they reach the waistline of my sweats, they take hold, but hesitate. There is a question in the hesitation. He's making sure it's okay.

Without even the slightest hesitation, I lift my hips from the bed so that he can pull down my sweats. His lips find mine again as I kick my sweats the rest of the way off. I'm not wearing anything underneath and I'm already painfully hard. A blush creeps up onto my cheeks that embarrasses me. When did I turn into a blushing schoolgirl? This isn't my first time undressing in front of another man. I am in no way a virgin. That ship sailed long, long ago. There's just something about Levi, something about the older man that makes this seem so right, so real. There is no sense of dread or impending regret that I have to snuff out, only to face the next morning. No, this is right. Levi is right. Levi doesn't seem to notice the color in my cheeks, and his hands resume their wandering of my body. I long for his hands to explore something else though.

I quickly reach for the hem of his sweats to pull them down as well. To my surprise, he's not wearing anything underneath his either. When he pulls back from me slightly so that he can kick his sweats off, I sneak a glance down his body. His well muscled thighs sport the same rough skin that matches the straps of his body harness. And in between those strong legs, I see that he's just as hard as I am. I swallow hard, my own feeling of lust hitting me full force. I just want him to push my legs apart and shove that thick cock up my-

His hand finds my erection at the same time his lips find my left nipple, effectively cutting off my train of thought. An involuntary gasp leaves my lips, followed by a low, guttural groan as his fingers run up the underside of my length. My eyes slip closed as I throw my head back into the pillows. His teeth nibble and suck at my nipple as his hand closes around my erection. His hand feels so smooth, despite its calluses, as it plays with my cock. His thumb rubs over the head, spreading the droplets it finds there as his lips move to my other nipple and tease it like they teased the other one.

"God, Levi," I moan as his hands and lips continue to tease.

His hand suddenly disappears from my cock, but then he's moving down my body, leaving a trail of kisses and bites until his mouth finds my erection. I inhale sharply, my breath catching in my throat when he tongue circles around the base of my cock before trailing up the underside. A loud, almost embarrassing groan leaves my lips when his mouth closes over my head, his tongue swirling around the crown and dipping into the slit. My hands find his silky black hair, seemingly of their own accord, and I fight the urge to buck my hips up into his face.

His hands trail down my sides, finding my hips and taking hold as he works his mouth up and down the length of my cock. His lips and tongue do things to me that I never could've even imagined. My whole body is buzzing, a heat growing in my groin. I've never felt so good in my entire life, and this is not my first blow job. Levi puts those few others to shame.

When his lips leave my cock, I moan in disappointment. He moves back up my body, stretching to reach into the drawer of his nightstand. His chest hovers inches above my face and I can't stop myself from running my fingers down his sides, across his stomach, towards his cock. I take it in my hand and tease. I feel him shudder beneath my fingers. He finds what he was looking for and tosses it onto the bed next to my shoulder. I manage to catch a glimpse of the lube and condom before Levi's lips are devouring mine again.

"You bring... a lot of guys... back here?" I tease around his lips.

"Shut up, brat," he growls back. His voice is thick with lust and desire, and it makes me shudder.

I stroke his throbbing cock a few more times before I grab the condom from the sheets. When I remove my hand to open the small package, Levi grabs the lube and pops the cap, squeezing a liberal amount onto his fingers. As I grab his cock to slip in the condom, his fingers lower to my entrance. He circles my passage with his slick fingers, then presses one finger in. I gasp, but it turns into a moan as he pushes that finger all the way in.

"You are so... beautiful," he breathes into my ear, his lips ghosting down my jaw as his finger slowly and carefully preps me.

I cringe at the word. "Handsome," I argue, then groan when he adds a second finger.

"Beautiful," he insists.

He silences any argument I might have by fusing his lips back with mine. His slick fingers message my passage, stretching and loosening me up. He presses his fingers in deep, and they find my prostate. My whole body sings, and an involuntary cry leaves my lips as he strokes that spot. My vision blurs and my toes curl. I fight to keep from exploding right then and there.

When Levi suddenly removes his fingers, and I feel his weight shift on the bed, I force my eyes open. He takes my knees in his hands and pushes them apart, back towards my chest. He positions himself between my legs, his body hovering over mine. His grey eyes lock onto mine and I see something glowing in those depths, something more than just lust and desire. I've never seen it before, from anyone, and I can't put a name to it, but it makes me feel warm all over. I like that look, and I wish it will never go away.

Levi hesitates, his body above mine, his cock poised at my entrance. "Are you sure about this, Eren?" his soft voice asks. "It's not too late to say no."

What the hell is he talking about? Does he think he's forcing me? Does he think that I don't want this as much as he obviously does? Is he worried that I might come to regret this after? Does he not see how happy I am? Does he not know how perfect this is? I growl at him, and by way of answer, I fist my hands in his soft hair and pull him down into a deep kiss while my legs wrap around his waist. He returns the growl against my lips and moves his hips forward. He guides his cock to my entrance, then slowly pushes in.

There is a fleeting sense of pain, a burn as his cock pushes past that ring of muscle, but it soon is replaced with sheer pleasure as he slowly starts to fill me. Levi's lips leave mine and he groans, a deep, guttural sound that drives me crazy. He buries his face in my neck and I feel his teeth nip at the sensitive skin there.

"Fuck," I groan loudly when he's seated fully inside me.

"Okay?" he murmurs into my neck. His breathing is ragged, his body tense, like he's trying very hard to reign himself in.

"Perfect," I breathe. When he doesn't move, I tighten my legs around his waist and lick the skin beneath his ear, making him shiver. "You gonna move, old man?"

He growls into my neck, pulling out then slamming back into me. I gasp, clawing at his back. He lifts his face from my shoulder and there is a devious smirk pulling at his lips. "Like that?" he asks, his voice rough.

"Yes, Captain," I breathe.

Levi groans, rocking his hips into mine. His hands find my hips and lift them up slightly, positioning himself better between my legs. He finds a steady, fast rhythm, and I come apart beneath him, groaning and grunting like an animal.

"Ah, fuck... L-Levi... ahhh," I moan, my fingers raking across his back.

"Shit..." he growls, thrusting deeply into me. "God, Eren... Fuck..."

He angles himself deeper, hitting that spot again and causing my vision to fade momentarily. It takes me a moment to realize that the loud cry echoing through the room came from my mouth. I can feel his hands on my hips, gripping hard enough to bruise, but right now I really don't care. I run one hand up his neck to fist in his hair, pulling him down so I can devour his lips with mine. He groans into my mouth, our tongues dancing and exploring each other's mouths. With my free hand, I reach in between our sweaty bodies to grab my own cock and start pumping it in time to his thrusts.

When his cock hits my prostate again, I can't fight it anymore. I cry Levi's name as I feel my groin tighten and fire races from my balls into my cock to explode across mine and Levi's stomachs. I can't see, I can't breathe, and my heart is about to punch through my ribcage. Everything tingles, everything buzzes, everything feels so _good_. Levi continues his thrusting, adding to the insane wave of pleasure that is coursing through my body.

"Fuck!" Levi growls, burying his face in my neck.

He slams his cock deep into me one last time before his movements slow and a shudder rocks his body. He's breathing hard, his breath warm against the sweaty skin of my neck. His strong arms are shaking ever so slightly, but he doesn't move, doesn't pull out of me. I fight to catch my breath as well, keeping my legs around his waist and my arms draped lazily over his neck.

After a long minute of laying there in total content, he slowly pulls back from me, his limp member sliding from my wrecked body. I let my legs fall from around his waist, my arms from around his neck, and I just lay there, sprawled across his sweaty white comforter, too sated to move. It's a weird feeling. I've been in this position before, I've slept with many other guys- topped and bottomed- but I've never felt so good about it. Maybe it's because we're not in a dirty alley? Maybe it's because I didn't do it to score drugs or cigarettes? Maybe it's because I'm not getting shoved off the bed with a 'you're a great fuck, Eric, now leave'? Maybe it's because Levi isn't some drugged up teenager with rotten teeth and alcohol breath? Maybe it's because Levi is smart, fit, caring, accomplished, and oh so hot. Maybe it's because I actually... I actually have feelings for Levi. Whatever the reason may be, for once in my life, I don't immediately regret sleeping with someone. My past is my past and I accept that, I know I can't change it, but I really wish that _this_ had been my first time.

Levi sits back on his heels, his chest still heaving and his forehead and chest glistening with sweat. He pulls off the condom and ties a quick knot before tossing it into the trash can beside the nightstand. Leaning forward, he kisses me deeply but briefly before climbing off the bed and heading towards what must be his bathroom. I watch him until his ass disappears through the door.

Staring back up at the ceiling, I inhale deeply through my nose, hold it for a couple seconds, then exhale through my mouth. I know I must have a shit-eating grin on my face, but I don't care. I'm just so... elated. I'm on cloud nine. I can't even describe the emotions that are coursing through me right now. I've dreamt about this ever since I first laid eyes on him.

When I finally am able to move, I roll off the bed. My ass is sore, but it only makes me smile as I pad barefoot and naked out of Levi's room and into the hallway bathroom. I would've been totally content to never get up and to fall asleep right there in Levi's bed, but I know how he is about cleanliness, and I am starting to feel uncomfortably sticky. I also would've joined Levi in his bathroom, but he didn't say anything when he left. He didn't even look back at me. Maybe he didn't want me to join him.

I think about that as I turn the shower on and wait for the water to warm up. What was this to him? To me, it was the start of something great, something real. But for him, was this just a one-and-done? Now that he's satisfied his lust, am I just his private again, and him my captain? My feel good mood takes a nose dive as that thought sinks in. I shower in a daze, trying to keep my sudden depression from making me cry. I really thought I had found something in Levi, something that had been missing in my life. But it seems like I was blinded, that my infatuation had me seeing Levi as a diamond in the rough, when really it was just a shiny shit. Maybe Levi really is like all my past sexual partners, having sex with me just to get laid or because he wants something.

Despite all this running through my mind, I don't hate him. On the contrary, I am still head over heels for him. I'm probably just overreacting. Levi isn't exactly the most talkative person. His eyes sure were expressive tonight though, and it seemed like there was more in their depths than just lust. The way he kissed me, the way he touched me... This had to be more than just getting laid. At least, that's what I try to convince myself of as I finish showering.

Stepping across the hall into my bedroom, I pull on a pair of boxers and flop back onto my bed. With a sigh, I run a hand through my hair and turn onto my side, away from the door to face the window. I stare at the night sky, at the city still glowing despite the late- or rather very early- hour.

"Oi, brat," Levi's voice says from the doorway.

I startle, shooting upright and looking back over my shoulder. He's wearing only a pair of sweats, his arms crossed over his bare chest. His black hair is damp from a shower, still clinging to his forehead a little. I can't read any emotion on his face, but his grey eyes are bright.

"Yes, Cap- uh... Levi?"

He raises an eyebrow at me, then, suddenly, he seems strangely nervous and he ducks his head. "Well, I'm going to bed now. I changed the sheets and I... I'd like for you to join me. If you want to. Do whatever you want."

He leaves the doorway, heading back to his room, leaving me sitting there in shock. My eyes are wide and my mouth is hanging open. I've never seen him so unsure before. He's always so confident. About everything. Is he worried about all the things I was just worrying about?

That shit-eating grin is back on my face as I vault off the bed and race down the hall towards his room. He has his back towards me, standing at the foot of the bed straightening the new navy blue comforter. I run at him, and before he can turn around, I leap onto his back. His soldier instincts take over and I laugh as he drops his shoulder, grabbing my arm and flipping me over him to land with a muffled thud and a bounce on the bed. I'm still laughing as he stares at me with wide eyes and a rigid stance for a moment, then collects himself again. He rolls his eyes at me before crossing the room to shut off the lights. I scoot up further onto the bed and pull the covers over me, listening to him walk back over to the bed. He appears on my side of the bed and crawls under the covers, shoving me over with an elbow to the ribs.

"This is my side, brat," he snaps at me and I laugh, rolling the rest of the way over to the other side of the bed.

I turn my back to my captain and fidget until I get comfortable, nuzzling down into the pillows. We're still and completely quiet for a moment, but then I hear Levi shift. A strong arm wraps around my waist, pulling me back into a solid chest. I feel Levi nuzzle the back of my neck and my smile grows even more, if that's even possible.

"Goodnight, Levi," I murmur into the darkness. "Happy birthday."

"Shut up and go to sleep, brat," he growls into my neck.

I laugh and, after a few minutes, I follow his orders and fall asleep.

* * *

><p><strong>Finally! Am I right guys? The ship has officially set sail XD<strong>

**Now back to studying 'Legal Constitutional Cases on Criminal Justice' *keels over***

**zoey04ereri. tumblr. com**


	10. Chapter 10

**Yay finally a Levi chapter!**

**A little more of a look into Levi's past, then the two cuties being cute doing cute date things together X3**

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><p><strong>Chapter 10: Levi<strong>

When I wake, it's still dark. A glance at the clock reveals that it's just after six in the morning. It takes a minute for the events of last night to come back to me, but they do when I feel the weight on my chest and legs. Eren's head is resting on my chest, his hand on my stomach, and one leg thrown over the top of mine. His breath tickles my skin as he snores lightly. I don't want to move from this spot. A smile pulls at my lips. I can't remember ever feeling this happy before. I wasn't this happy when Erwin found me and offered me a life away from that shithole I grew up in. There is just something about this brat sprawled over the top of my body that fills me with a warm feeling that makes me feel good, complete.

As I lay there in bed, running my fingers lightly through Eren's soft brown hair, the full realization of what happened last night starts to sink in. I slept with one of my subordinates. By giving in to my growing desires, I broke nearly a dozen regulations. I could get discharged for this. Eren could get discharged for this. And if Eren gets discharged, he'll be sent to prison. I can't let that happen. I _won't_ let that happen. Nobody will ever find out.

The easiest way to keep this a secret would be to never let it happen again. But I'm not sure I'm strong enough to make that choice. Last night was inarguably the best night of my life, and I fully intend to have more nights just like that one. And I don't know Eren's past at all, but if it's anything like mine, it was full of men- or women, or both- that used him and tossed him aside like trash. I don't want to be another one of those people. I want to be something more, something real. But if we keep up an intimate relationship, someone will eventually find out. And it will most likely be after we fuck up an operation because we were trying to protect each other. Well, that will happen whether we pursue an intimate relationship or not. I care greatly for the brat, and even though I try to convince myself that I would be able to do my job and leave him behind if something were to happen, I know that I won't.

Eren's solution last night would actually be the best solution if it were possible. Transferring him to another squad would allow us to pursue a relationship without breaking any regulations. However, when Eren agreed to stay on my squad what seems like forever ago, Erwin specifically said that he won't be allowed to leave until his one year is up. If I were to go to him and ask him to reconsider, he'd ask questions, questions I wouldn't be able to answer.

I look down at Eren's sleeping face. It's so relaxed and peaceful. He's so young. Does he even know how old I am? If he found out that I am thirteen... now fourteen years his superior, would it bother him? Should it bother me to be with someone so young? I realize that it doesn't. When I look at him I don't see an age nearly half mine, I see a beautiful young man full of life and spirit and heart. I see someone that has already stolen my own heart.

Slowly, and oh so carefully, I ease Eren's head off of my chest and onto the pillow. It would seem that he's a heavy sleeper, considering he doesn't stir in the slightest. I ease my legs out from under his, and once I'm free, I climb out of the bed. Rounding the bed, I riffle through my dresser until I find a pair of sweatpants and a thick USMC hooded sweatshirt. I leave my vigorous workout routine for the base, but even when I'm home, I have to at least go for a run. I can't go two and a half weeks without exercising at all.

A glance out the floor to ceiling window reveals that it's snowing ever so slightly. Hopefully it won't hinder me. I glance back at Eren as I leave the room. I can't describe how much I like seeing him sleeping in my bed. There's a smile on my lips as I leave the room, leaving the apartment, and head out into the dark, cold morning. My breath steams in the air as I pull my hood up over my head. There is a thin layer of snow covering the ground, but the sidewalks and roads must have just been cleared. The fact that it's six o'clock on Christmas morning means that I have the streets mostly to myself. I only see a handful of other people and cars as I make my way through the unusually quiet city. The cold air and snow nips at my nose and cheeks, but running keeps my body warm.

I let the cold air clear my head, clear it of the nagging worry about the complication of Eren and my relationship, clear it of worrying about how to hide my feelings for him, clear it of fearing the repercussions if someone were to find out. Instead, I think of Eren still asleep in my bed, of last night. My mind replays the sensual noises he made, the way he moved beneath me, the feeling of his accelerated pulse against my lips when I kissed his neck. I've been with other men and women, but none have ever left me feeling like this. I've never enjoyed being with someone the way I enjoyed being with Eren last night. Usually I really enjoy running because it allows me to step away from everything and be... free. But this morning, I find that I want my run to be over soon so that I can go back to my apartment and be with Eren.

Eleven miles and nearly an hour later, I'm slowing to a walk in front of my apartment building. Stepping in out of the cold winter air, I rub my hands together as I hurry towards the stairwell. When I open the front door of my apartment, the sound of sizzling grease on the stove and the strong scent of bacon hits me. Eren is at the stove, wearing a pair of pajama bottoms and an apron. He looks up when I enter and he smiles.

"How was your run?" he asks.

"You should've run with me, lazy brat," I retort, grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge.

"Hey, I'm on vacation, Captain. You can't make me exercise," he says, humor in his tone as he points the spatula at me. He laughs when I roll my eyes and turns his attention back to the skillet. "I hope you're hungry."

"I didn't know you could cook," is my answer as I head towards the hallway. "Don't burn the fucking apartment down."

"You have absolutely no faith in me," he exhales with a shake of his head.

"Damn right I don't," I call back down the hall.

If he replies, it's lost when I pass through the doorway of my room and disappear into the bathroom. I exhale sharply, leaning on the counter for a moment before shrugging out of my sweatshirt and sweatpants. Our exchange moments ago was no different than any other morning since we've been here. I don't know what I was expecting. We were already getting comfortable around each other in a casual setting. Did last night make it awkward for him? I recall a tension in his bare shoulders as he worked over the stove, but there was a glow in his mesmerizing green eyes. Sometimes it's too hard to read that brat.

I decide to let it go for now. I'll try to let Eren decide our pace from here, if he decides to pursue anything at all. If he does, we'll have to talk about what will have to happen when we get back to the base, but that can wait for now. Stepping into the shower, I let the hot spray wash away any doubts I may have. This all is very new, and very unexpected. I need to calm down and just let things happen as they will.

When I step back into the front room, dressed in a lose pair of jeans and a plain black T-shirt, I see Eren sitting on the couch, his knees raised to his chest, a game controller in his hands, and a piece of bacon sticking out of his mouth. His face is contorted into a look of concentration, the end of the bacon twitching in his lips. It's actually quiet adorable.

I sit down next to him and when he looks over at me, I lean in to take the rest of the bacon on my mouth, biting it off and leaving him with a kiss. His eyes widen and his cheeks color. Sucking the remaining stub of bacon into his mouth, a slow smile pulls at his lips and he focuses back on the game. He pauses it, then sets the controller down onto the coffee table before standing and padding over to the bar separating the small kitchen from the living room. A plate of bacon, bowl of eggs, two cups of coffee, and two empty plates sit on the bar, and he takes a seat at one of the place settings. I stand from the couch and slide onto the stool next to him.

We eat in what starts as a comfortable silence, but slowly turns awkward. Eren is thinking hard about something, and I can practically feel the tension rolling off of him. Something is bothering him.

"Oi, spit it out, brat," I say, breaking the silence.

Eren startles slightly, then ducks his head with a shrug. I exhale sharply, dropping my half eaten piece of bacon back on my plate and turning to face him.

"Don't give me that shit. There's something on your mind. You suck at hiding it, so tell me," I say.

He slowly looks up at me, also turning to face me. He just stares at me for a moment, his green eyes a sea of torment and... fear?, before he finally speaks. "First, I guess I... I want to know what last night... you know... what it meant to you," he says, his voice unsure.

I sigh, running my hand through my damp hair. I was hoping to have a little more time to enjoy this, preferably with Eren and preferably in my bed, before we had this talk. But it needed to happen eventually.

"It meant more to me than you're probably thinking," I start by saying. "I don't know what you did to me, but you've turned my life upside down. There's something about you that drives me crazy, and one roll in the sack is not all I was looking for. I don't know if that's what you wanted to hear or not, but that's what it meant to me."

His eyes are wide in shock, and I can definitely see a flicker of happiness in those green depths. Suddenly, he's throwing himself at me, and I just barely manage to catch him while keeping us on the stool. I hold him tight as his arms constrict around my neck and he buries his face in my hair.

"I feel the same way," he murmurs. "I was afraid you just wanted a one night stand though. I can't read you very well, and sometimes that scares me." He says this last sentence with a forced laugh before pulling back from me.

"I've had a lot of one night stands and meaningless sexual partners, Eren," I tell him, "but none of them made me feel the way I did last night. You're not one of those people. You're something more. And I want more from you than I did from the others."

He nods. "I can relate."

That one small sentence makes me cringe internally. He's so innocent, so sweet. To imagine him in my shoes growing up on the streets, doing the things I had to do in order to survive, imagining those disgusting men putting their filthy hands on him and stealing his innocence... It infuriates me. It makes my blood boil. I can't stand the thought of Eren- _my_ Eren- having to go through those things the way I had to.

"And I feel the exact same way. I had those same thoughts last night when I was trying to decide how you felt. But..." He hesitates, looking back at his plate. "What will happen when we go back? I'm not familiar with all the rules of the Marines, but I doubt that we'll be allowed to be together, like _that_ anyways..."

"You're right," I say. "It is against regulations for soldiers of the same unit to pursue an intimate relationship, even more so for a captain and his subordinate. If we continue this, we'll have to keep it a secret. You aren't allowed to leave my squad and the only other alternative is prison, and I won't allow that. I can't leave either, mostly because I would never be able to come up with a reason that Erwin would accept. If I gave him the real reason, he would choose to discharge you instead since you are much more easily replaced. The only way for us to remain together and to keep you out of prison will be to hide our relationship."

He nods, seemingly accepting what I'm saying. "And if anyone finds out?"

"We'll both be discharged, and for you that means a prison sentence," I tell him, but then frown and lean close to him, our noses inches from each other. "Listen to me, brat. If we pursue this, you need to promise me that you won't let it affect your job. You are a Marine first and foremost, my lover second." God damn the smile that creeps onto his face and the overjoyed look in his eyes at the word. "There is a reason why relationships within units are prohibited. If things go bad during deployment, you need to be able to put your feelings aside and react rationally. I will be doing the same with you. If I have to chose between you and the rest of my squad, I will leave you to save the many, just as I'd do with anyone else on my squad. If I have to chose between the success of the operation and you, the operation will come first. I may not like it, but that's how it has to happen. Promise me you'll do the same." It's all a lie. I know I'd never be able to do the things I am telling him, but I need to say it.

He nods, but his eyes are wide and worried. He turns back to his breakfast, and the tension seems to start dissipating. But there is another, unrelated concern on my mind, one that I can't let go despite how hard I try. Perhaps that's simply because of what day it is.

"Eren, do you know how old I am?" I ask, not looking at him.

"Oh! That's right. It's your birthday today. Happy birthday, Levi," he smirks.

"Shut up and answer the question, brat," I growl.

"There are a lot of things I don't know about you, mostly dealing with your past, but that is one thing I do know. Petra told me," he says, his voice still cheery. But then he grows a little more serious. "It doesn't bother me, Levi. Age is just a number. Does _my_ age bother _you_?"

"No," I reply automatically, not even having to think about it.

"Exactly," he smiles. He leans in to press a kiss to my cheek. "So don't worry about it."

I nod and sip at the still steaming coffee before standing and crossing over to the little Christmas tree Eren made me buy. I feel his eyes watching me as I kneel and pull a small box from the lowest branches of the tree. It was a spur-of-the-moment decision to bring this with me and give it to Eren as a Christmas gift. It was given to me by Grisha eight years ago to pass on to Carla. I don't know why he wanted me to give it to her, but I never got the chance. It was that night that she was killed, and it has been sitting in a drawer in my desk ever since. It's only right that I pass it on to Eren. I hid it in the branches because I didn't want Eren to know I had gotten him anything. I didn't want him to feel like he needed to get me something in return. I know that he doesn't have any money, and I don't want anything anyway. Besides, I didn't spend any money on it, and it belongs with him in the first place.

Walking back over to a wide eyed Eren, I hand him the small box. "Merry Christmas, brat."

"You got me something?"

"It's something I've been holding on to for a long time. One day, when you're ready, I'll tell you about it. But for now, stop freaking out and just open it."

He smiles and wiggles the top off the box. Inside, on a cushion of tissue paper, is a golden key on a long cord. His eyes light up and he removes the necklace from the box, slipping the long cord over his head before picking up the old fashioned looking key to look at it closer.

"Wow, Levi, this is nice," he says, looking up at me with a dazzling smile. "I love it, thank you."

"You're welcome," I reply, sipping at my coffee.

"But, I didn't get you anything," he frowns, lowering the key back to his chest.

I shrug, then look at him with a smirk. "You did give me something very, very early this morning."

"That counts?" he asks, his eyes glowing deviously. "Well, if that's the case, can I give you your birthday present right now?"

"You most certainly may," I reply.

Before he can move, I slide off my stool and duck down, grabbing his waist and tossing him over my shoulder. He gasps as he flips upside down, his legs flailing in the air in front of me. I carry him into my bedroom, laughing as he half-heartedly protests my man-handling him. And for the first time in my life, I honestly enjoy my birthday present.

...

"Where are we going?" he asks, again, staring out the window of my car as he plays with the key around his neck.

"My answer is the same as it was the last dozen times you asked: you will see," I reply, shifting gears as I accelerate from a stop light. The engine purrs, rumbling beneath our seats and a huge grin spreads across Eren's face.

"Have I told you how much I love your car?" he says. "In high school, I had a list of dream cars, cars I'd buy if I ever struck it rich. This car was fourth on my list, I think. I wanted a silver one though."

"You have told me once or twice," I say with an amused smile. That was a little bit of an understatement. "Before I joined the Marines, cars, and which ones I wanted, were the furthest from my mind. I couldn't tell you the difference between a truck and a sedan. But when I moved to the base, when they taught me how to drive the jeeps, I fell in love with driving. I wanted a car of my own, and I was going to buy a jeep like the ones at the base, but I saw this one on display at the BMW dealership downtown and I knew instantly that I wanted it. That was about two years ago."

He nods, but there is a thoughtful look on his face. "I know you lived on the streets, but other than that I really don't know anything about your life before the Marines," he says. He looks over at me and I can see the questions in his eyes, but I can also see the reservation. He doesn't want to overstep a line.

"My life before the Marines was not a happy one," I warn him. It's been a few days since Christmas, and I was beginning to wonder when these questions would come up. Now that we're intimate, I'm sure he wants to know. I already know a little about his past. He knows nothing about mine.

"I'm not unaccustomed to unhappy stories," he replies. His eyes are wide, like he can't believe that I'm about to open up to him about my life. It's not surprising. Nobody knows about that part of my life except for Erwin. I don't like telling people. But with Eren, something about him makes me want to open up completely and share everything with him. I won't, because there are some things that are best left alone and not shared, but regardless, I don't want to hide who I am, who I was, from him.

"I don't remember a life before I lived on the streets," I start. "For all I know, I was born there. I never knew my parents. I was part of a street gang that cared for me and kept me alive, but I left them when I was around seven or eight, I think. I ran on my own for a long time. It was hard, but I kept myself fit and I learned very quickly how to fight and kill in order to protect myself, with the help of an old fucker who probably ruined me more than he helped me. It's his last name that I carry now, only because I needed a last name to apply for the Marines, and his is the only one I've ever known. I did a lot of... questionable things out of survival. When I was about twenty-one or so, I found two people that I connected closely with. Rather, they latched onto me, wanting my skills for protection, but they grew on me and I on them. I taught them everything I knew, and together the three of us were notorious street thugs. It was three years later that Erwin hunted us down and recruited us for a special assignment with the Marine Corps. He needed the skills we possessed, and we agreed, albeit reluctantly, to help him. The temporary assignment became a permanent squad, and I never left."

He's quiet for a few moments, his body fully turned in his seat to face me. "Wow... and I thought my life sucked..."

"It's not a contest, brat," I tell him. "You had a very hard life growing up. My experiences in no way diminish yours."

He shrugs. "Your two friends, are they still on the squad? Who are they? Eld and-"

"They died," I cut him off. My grip is tight on the steering wheel and on the stick. I try to take a couple of deep breaths to calm the sudden influx of negative emotions. It's been a very long time since they died, but it still feels fresh. Maybe it's because their deaths were my fault, because I wasn't there to protect them.

"Oh... I'm sorry Levi. I didn't-"

"Don't apologize. You didn't know," I say, keeping my eyes on the road ahead of me.

A hand lightly placed over the top of mine draws my thoughts from the negative path they were starting to head down. I look down at Eren's hand on top of mine on the stick, then up in his eyes. They're soft, comforting. I could drown in those green depths. When I look back at the road, he leans over and presses a kiss to my cheek.

"I'm sorry I brought up a sensitive topic," he apologizes, then straightens out in his seat. "Are we there yet?" His tone is still soft. He's deliberately trying to change the subject.

"Yes," I reply, pulling into a parking lot and finding a spot away from all the other cars. I don't want some asshole to dent my car with their door.

Eren's eyes widen as he climbs out of the car. On the other side of the parking lot is a large ice rink, a handful of couples and children skating around on the ice. Eren takes it all in, and I can't tell if he's excited or nervous. I walk around the front of the car and he hesitantly falls into step beside me as I make my way to the small building where we can rent skates. I can see it now: he's nervous.

"I've never been ice skating before. I've never even roller bladed," he says.

"If you have the balance needed to use 3DMG, ice skating shouldn't be hard. It's just a different kind of balancing," I reassure him. "Remember the exercise I had you do where you stood on top of the bar?"

"Yeah... I fell a lot."

"Well, it's similar to that. You'll be fine. You're supposed to fall on your ass the first time you ice skate."

"Did you?" he retorts, a suspicious look in his eyes.

"I've never been ice skating either," I admit.

He snorts as we walk into the small shack. "You won't fall. You have the balance and coordination of a god. I'll just hang onto you for balance."

"I _will_ fall if I have your heavy ass hanging off of me the whole time."

He laughs. We get our skates from the older man at the front counter and take a seat near the back door that leads into the ice rink. I pull off my boots, as does Eren, and we pull on the skates, lacing them up tight. Shoving our boots and blade coverings into an empty locker, I stand and lower a hand to Eren. He takes it and hesitantly stands. He wobbles slightly and grabs onto my arms. A smirk pulls at my lips.

"This is going to be entertaining," I chuckle as we take the few steps across the rubber mat to the ice.

He shoots me a glare. I laugh again, stepping out onto the ice and pushing off the mat. Just as I suspected, it's not too difficult. It feels a little different, but the last ten years of my life have been spent gaining complete control of my balance and coordination. Balancing on two blades, even on the slippery ice, isn't as hard as keeping myself upright while I fly through the air in my maneuvering gear. I circle back around towards the door where Eren is still standing unsure in the doorway. I slide to a stop and hold out my hand.

"I'm calling bullshit," he grumbles. "You've done this before."

"I have not," I insist. "You'll be fine, brat."

He exhales sharply, then steps out onto the ice. He doesn't even get his second skate onto the ice before his first goes out from under him and he lands with a _thud_ on his ass. He glares up at me when I chuckle, unable to help myself. I reach down and grab his arm, helping him back to his feet. He immediately latches onto my arms, holding himself close to me as he tries to find his balance on the ice.

I'm a little uncomfortable at the way he clings to me because it shows an obviously high level of intimacy. People look our way. I can feel their judging eyes. Whether they're judging us because we're two men, or because of the age gap, or both, I can't tell, but it makes me uncomfortable which actually surprises me. Since when have I cared what others think about me? My whole life has been full of people who have judged me, positively and negatively. When I lived on the streets, I was judged negatively and looked down upon. I was trash, and I was a thug. After I joined the Marines, I've been judged positively and held in high esteem. I am respected as a soldier of the United States. All of these judgments are less superficial than a handful of people judging that I, a thirty-something year old man, am intimately involved with a barely twenty-something year old man. So why does it bother me?

Frowning in determination, I place my hands on Eren's hips and push off my skates so that we glide slowly, backwards for me and forward for him. He manages to stay upright for a few feet, but then ends up on his ass again. I help him up and pull him back against me.

"How can you use your maneuvering gear so easily, and not be able to stay upright on a pair of skates?" I question him.

"Maybe you're forgetting that it took me a week to pass that stupid balance test," he retorts, most of his focus directed on his feet. "I am obviously balance impaired. And my ass is going to be one giant bruise by the time we're done here."

I lean in close so that we're not overheard. "I'll kiss it and make it better when we get home," I murmur into his ear.

When I pull back, he's blushing brightly and staring at his feet. I chuckle and step back from him, releasing him completely as I skate backwards. He flails, cursing at me as he tries to follow.

"Watch your mouth, brat. There are children here," I tease.

"Fine, then _duck_ you, Levi. Get your _derriere _back over here before I kick the _poop_ out of you," he retorts.

I laugh, continuing to skate away from him. He's starting to get the hang of it now, and he's catching up to me. After a few dozen feet, I let him catch up and latch onto me. He takes hold of my arm as I spin to face the same direction as him, and I keep a hand on the small of his back.

Eren eventually figures it out, and we spend another couple of hours on the ice. I slowly start to feel more comfortable touching him, and having him touch me, to the point that I even let him kiss me. Eren only falls two more times, once trying to avoid a child, and the other because he tried to get me to fall and failed. We circle the rink, almost always holding onto each other in one way or another. Mostly, he holds my hand, his fingers intertwined with mine as I tow him around the rink.

We're walking back to my car, Eren's arm draped over my shoulders- damn him for being taller than me- and my arm wrapped around his waist when the I hear the judgment I feared not too long ago voiced out loud. A group of teenagers, wearing thick hoodies and carrying skateboards, laughs and points as we pass where they are goofing off in the parking lot. I feel Eren tense, and he starts to draw away from me. I grab his belt loop though and hold him against my side.

"Ignore them," I murmur to him. "Don't be ashamed of who you are."

"Guess fags his own age aren't good enough," one of them says loudly, despite that Eren and I are passing right in front of him. "You like fucking a baby, old man?"

Eren suddenly spins, a fist raised to punch the boy. I react quickly enough, snagging his raised arm and wrapping the other around his waist, turning him so that he's facing away from the boys. They laugh, continuing their taunting. I look back over my shoulder, shooting them the coldest look I can muster. It obviously does its job, because their laughter instantly dies, and they stare back at me with wide, afraid eyes before they take off. I focus back on Eren, releasing my controlling grip on his arm and body. I step in front of him, looking him in the eye.

"I didn't hurt you, did I?" I question him.

He shakes his head. "Sorry," he murmurs as I lead him the rest of the way to the car.

"You have nothing to be sorry for. If you weren't currently serving a court sentence, I wouldn't have stopped you. That kid really needs a good punch in the mouth. They all do," I growl. "I should've done it myself."

He looks over at me from under the fall of his brown bangs. A smirk pulls at his sweet lips. "I'm glad you didn't. I wouldn't want you to hurt yourself... old man."

Faster than he can blink, I wrap my arm around his neck, pulling him down and against my side in a headlock. His surprise allows me to do it with absolutely no resistance. Pathetic. Has my training taught him nothing? The key hanging around his neck even smacks him in the face, as if for good measure. He's laughing as he pushes against my arm and back, trying to get his head free.

"Who's an old man?" I question, holding him down.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" he laughs.

I release him, pulling him down for a kiss once he straightens. He's still giddy, a giggle escaping his lips as we continue back to my car. He's already forgetting about those kids, already cheering back up again. I'm glad. I'd hate for our wonderful morning to have been completely ruined because of one snarky comment.


	11. Chapter 11

**And so concludes the Boston trip. Back to work for these two lovebirds. Oh and I will warn that there is a pretty big time jump in the middle of this chapter so that we can get on with the plot. I usually hate doing that, but if I were to fill it in it'd just be boring filler and that's even worse in my opinion...**

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><p><strong>Chapter 11: Levi<strong>

Eren sighs again, picking at the USMC print on the side of his sweats. I glance over at him. We're laying on the carpet in front of the television, a movie blaring through the surround sound. He's been like this all night. All day really, now that I think about it. He's been very twitchy and anxious, tired and irritable, and he's complained of a head ache more than once throughout the day.

"Are you alright?" I ask him.

He looks over at me fleetingly before turning his dull eyes back to the movie. He keeps picking at his sweats. I grab his hand, and realize that it's shaking ever so slightly.

"I'm fine," he says, and I know it's a lie.

"No you're not. Are you feeling ill?" I question, rolling onto my side and propping myself up onto an elbow.

He rubs at his eyes, sighing again. "It's nothing really. I just... I ran out of cigarettes three days ago."

Now it all makes sense. He's going through nicotine withdrawal. "I can give you money if you need to go get more, Eren."

He shakes his head vigorously before I can even finish the sentence. He turns his head away from me. He's ashamed and embarrassed. I can see it written all over his face.

"No," he says. "I need to quit. This is the perfect excuse. I don't have any fucking money. I already blew it all on smokes."

"You shouldn't quit cold turkey, Eren. I can get you those patches, or whatever the hell they are."

He shakes his head. "I've already been weaning myself off of them. It won't be that bad. I promise. Besides, we still have a week before we have to go back to the base. I should be back to one hundred percent, addiction free by then. This won't hinder my training or my work."

"I'm not worried about that, brat," I exhale, laying back down and taking his shaking hand in mine. "I just don't want you to suffer."

"Well it's my fault for having this habit to begin with. I need to live with the consequences."

I leave it alone, not questioning him any further. He's strong. He can handle it. I give his hand a squeeze and focus back on the things blowing up on the television screen.

...

Obscene shouts echo through the room, driving me on as I fuck Eren into the mattress. I'm bowed over his sweaty, lithe body, my hands pinning his wrists to the bed and my teeth biting and nipping at the skin of his neck and collarbones. His legs are hooked over my arms, bending him near double. He's surprisingly flexible. I like it.

Straightening, I release Eren's wrists so that I can grab his hips and flip him over. He obliges quickly, lifting his ass into the air and burying his face into the pillows. The key around his neck rests on the pillow below his face, twinkling in the artificial light of the room.

"Fuck me, Levi."

His voice is low and sultry, and it drives me crazy. I grab his hips roughly, pulling them back into mine. He gasps as my cock hits is prostate, over and over again. His back arches and one hand fists in the blankets as the other reaches up underneath him so he can jerk himself off in time to my thrusts. His gasp quickly turns into a throaty groan and a string of curses as he reaches his peak.

"Fuck, Eren," I moan as he tightens around my cock. I don't last much longer, my own orgasm exploding from within me.

We collapse into the sticky, sweaty sheets, neither of us able, or wanting, to move. I bury my face between his shoulder blades, his skin smelling of sweat and sex and a musky scent that is purely Eren. The dirtiness of it makes something deep in the back of my mind tick, but right now I couldn't care less. I bite at his shoulder blade and he shudders beneath me.

After a few minutes, when I finally regain control of my limbs, I roll off of Eren. The sheets are sticky with sweat and other bodily fluids, and it makes me squirm. I quickly climb off of the bed and head into the bathroom to clean myself up. Bringing a damp washcloth back into the bedroom with me, I toss it at Eren who is still sprawled across the bed. I admire the bite marks and hickies adorning his neck and shoulders.

"Oi, get up so I can wash the sheets," I say, poking at his hip.

"Uhnnn," he groans into the pillow. "Don't wanna move..."

With a smirk, I lightly run my fingers down his side, a spot that I've recently learned is very ticklish for him. He jolts up off the bed as if I had shocked him, nearly falling flat on his face as his legs tangle in the sheets.

"Jerk," he grumbles, grabbing the washcloth and running it over the lightly defined muscles of his stomach and chest.

He heads into the bathroom as I strip the sheets from the bed and take them down the hall to the washing machine. Pulling a new set of sheets from the closet, I make my way back to my room to redress the bed. It's getting late, and Eren and I have an early flight tomorrow, so we should probably get to bed soon.

A pair of strong, tan arms wrap around my chest as I'm straightening out the comforter. Eren's chin rests on my shoulder and he sighs.

"Was that the last time we'll get to be together until next Christmas?" he asks, his voice quiet and sullen. He's trying to joke, but he doesn't know if it's a joke or not.

I hesitate, then turn in his arms. "Like I'll be able to keep my hands off of you until our next break," I retort. "We can be together, but we'll just have to be careful."

He bites my shoulder lightly. "Well I've had a lot of practice controlling myself around you, so it shouldn't be too difficult. But, knowing that you feel the same way I do might make things a little more... challenging."

"Just don't fuck up," I say as he releases me, stepping around me to climb into bed. "I don't want you to end up in prison. That cute ass of yours would be very popular, and I've never been good with sharing."

He cringes, burying his face in the pillows. I switch off the lights and crawl in after him, pulling his warm body against mine. His hand comes up to run his fingers through my hair as I kiss him deeply. When I release him, he curls up into my side, draping a leg over the top of mine and resting his head on my shoulder. I trace circles on his back.

"How are you feeling?" I ask him. It's been a week since I first noticed his withdrawal symptoms. He's seemed fine for the last two days or so, but I ask anyway. I need to know what kind of shape he's in before we get back to the base and I run him through his normal exercises.

"I'm feeling good. I feel like a new man. No more cigarettes, in bed with a god of a man, coming down off of a sex high... I couldn't be better."

I press a kiss to the top of his head. "Me neither," I breathe into his hair.

Eren falls asleep not too much later, leaving me awake and thinking about tomorrow. I've been so relaxed and so open around Eren these last two weeks. It's going to be hard for me to adjust when we get back to the base, but I'm going to have to. I've had a lot of practice burying feelings and emotions while on duty. Hopefully I'll be able to do it just as easily now. But my feelings for Eren transcend anything I've ever had to bury before. I have a bad feeling about this. I have this impending sense of dread that one of us is going to slip up, and Eren is going to end up in prison because of it.

Eren nuzzles my shoulder in his sleep. His lips part and he mumbles something. "...vi... Levi..." he breathes into my skin.

I sigh, relaxing back into the pillows and enjoying the feeling of Eren against me. We'll make it work. I'll do whatever it takes to keep him from getting discharged and sent to prison.

...

"Levi! Eren!" Petra's voice calls as we're walking down the concourse.

We stop and look back over our shoulders to see Petra running up to us, Eld and Oluo in tow. She throws her arms first around me, then moves on to Eren.

"How was your guys' vacation?" she asks.

Eren hesitates, looking over at me. I didn't tell her Eren would be staying with me because it didn't come up and she didn't ask, not because I wanted to hide it. I see no reason to hide it now, we just have to hide what happened.

"Eren stayed with me," I tell her, turning to continue back down the concourse.

"Really? Did you not have a place to go, Eren?" she asks.

"No. I don't have a family, and the Captain was kind enough to let me crash his vacation," Eren tells her.

"Wow, that is very unexpectedly nice of you, Levi," she jokes.

"Unexpectedly nice? What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" I retort.

"Did he make you do your morning routine every day, Eren?" Eld questions with a laugh, ignoring my own question. "Did you get to relax at all?"

"Hey, I enjoy taking a vacation as much as all of you shitheads," I retort. "No way was I going to keep babysitting this brat during my time off. He did what he wanted."

"You did force me to run with you a couple of mornings, Captain," Eren responds.

"Only because your lazy ass was getting out of shape."

Petra giggles as we make our way to the ground floor. A TSA officer locates us and leads us out of the building and into a waiting van to transport us to our plane. I listen to Petra and Oluo catch up, and Eren even joins in on their conversation. It makes me happy to see him connecting so easily with the rest of my squad. I keep my attention out the window of the van, trying not to focus too much on Eren's knee occasionally brushing against mine in the cramped space.

"I got word on Gunther over the break," I say, looking at Eld on the other side of Eren, then back at Oluo and Petra in the back seat. "He is recovering quickly and will be returning to active duty status in two weeks."

"That's wonderful!" Petra smiles, and Eld nods.

When we get onto the plane, I step into the cockpit to give the pilot the flight plans Erwin had emailed me during the break. He had also requested, now that he's finished closing out the operation on his end, that I begin filling out the performance evaluations on my squad and submit a summary of how the operation went. So I take up a seat a few spaces down from the rest of my squad and pull my laptop out of my backpack. I would've done it on the much longer flight from Boston to Denver, but I had enjoyed that last little bit of time with Eren.

I don't miss Eren's slightly disappointed look that I didn't take the empty seat next to him, but I ignore it, focusing on the evaluations on the screen of my laptop. When the plane reaches the familiar mountain ridge, I only have two of the tedious evaluations done. Putting away my laptop, I stand and head into the cockpit to check our location and the weather. The skies are clear. No rain, no snow, no gloomy winter weather. Perfect. I make my way over to the still empty seat between Eren and Oluo as the plane begins its decent.

"I'll give you two hours to get unpacked and cleaned up. Change into your squad uniforms, get your maneuvering gear, and meet me in the northern woods at..." I pull back the jacket sleeve of my fatigues to check my watch, "at fifteen hundred hours."

"What, we don't get the rest of the day off Captain?" Petra whines.

"You just got an eighteen day vacation. You don't need any more time off, you need to work," I tell her.

It's so hard for me to not put my arm across Eren's shoulders. Instead, I rest it across the back of his seat. When we arrive at the base, there are two jeeps waiting for us at the landing strip. Eld and Oluo climb into one, and Petra climbs into the other with Eren and I.

"I call shotgun!" Petra says, throwing herself into the seat before Eren can. "I have superiority over you, cutie, so you get the back."

Tossing Eren the keys- that he almost drops in surprise- I walk over to the passenger's side. I grab the collar of Petra's jacket and drag her out of the Jeep. She barely manages to land on her feet with a startled yelp.

"And I have superiority over you, which means _you_ get the back. Eren is driving," I tell her, sliding into the seat she had just been occupying.

With a huff of defeat, Petra jumps into the back as Eren climbs in behind the wheel. Eren manages to get us back to the base while only stalling once. Now that we're back, he can practice driving more. I had entertained for a second the idea of him practicing in my car, but I didn't want him destroying the transmission. My car is not a cheap one to have repaired.

Eren seems as eager as a kid on Christmas morning as we carry our maneuvering gear cases out into the trees. The day is surprisingly warm, so I don't worry too much about Eren losing control and hitting a tree this time. I still remember the sight of him sitting in the infirmary, his shoulder bruised and bloodied, and I don't wish to have a repeat of that accident.

The five of us stop to strap on our gear, and I have to help Eren who is still learning how to get it on. Standing up close to him, I see that he's still wearing the key I had given him, tucked down the front of his shirt with only the cord around his neck visible. I almost tell him to take it off, that it could be dangerous if it gets loose and catches on anything, but I decide not to. He obviously likes it, and who am I to tell him to take off the Christmas present I gave to him?

The other three get their gear on and take off into the trees to begin their warm ups. Only when I'm sure they're long out of sight, I lean in and press a quick kiss to Eren's cold cheek. He blushes slightly, but there is a smile on his lips as I finish tightening a strap and take a step back. With my own gear already on, we shoot off into the trees.

Eren races out in front of me, looking over his shoulder with a mischievous grin. It's a challenge, and against my better judgment, I accept. I want to show him what this gear is capable of. Or rather, I want to show him what _I_ am capable of. I want to show off to my younger lover.

Using the quick, delicate touch I've mastered over the ten- near eleven- years I've been on this squad, I take off into the trees. I change directions on a dime, I spin and flip through the air, using not only the wires but the trunks and branches of trees as well to launch myself or switch directions. When Eren comes up behind me, I flip and dive down onto a tree branch, taking a few running steps before leaping over the top of him and firing my grappling hooks into the next tree. I turn, facing Eren as he follows behind me. My hair flutters in my face, but is just short enough to stay out of my eyes. Eren looks awed, his eyes wide and his jaw hanging open.

"I'd close your mouth before you swallow a bug," I tell him, and he snaps his jaw closed.

"Finally showing off for the kid, Captain?" Petra laughs, shooting out of the trees to the left of us and falling in beside Eren.

"Just showing him what the gear is capable of," I reply, turning back around and falling back behind Eren and Petra.

Petra just shrugs, then shoots a grin at Eren. "I'll race you."

Before he can answer, she takes off into the trees. Eren glances back at me briefly, then takes off after her, weaving between the loosely packed trees. I hang back, watching him use the gear, still trying to completely figure it out and adjust his touch on the triggers. He hits one tree a little hard when he tries to land on its branch, and he misses his mark twice when firing his grappling hooks. Both times he manages to re-fire and catch himself before he hits the ground, but it doesn't stop my heart from leaping into my throat both times. But I shouldn't worry so much. He seems to have a natural talent with the maneuvering gear, and although it's not an extraordinary talent, his determination more than makes up for it. He'll be ready for operations in no time at all. Whether that is a good thing or a bad thing, I haven't figured that out yet.

...

The next four months go by quickly, bringing us to the halfway point of Eren's sentence. His training progressed greatly, and by the time March rolled around, I felt confident in deeming him ready for operations. He's very proficient with the maneuvering gear, with the swords, and with a gun. He's also making it through all of my stealth exercises almost as well as everyone else on my squad. Gunther too returned to the base and was approved for duty around the same time Eren was. Now that my squad is back together, it's merely a waiting game until we get our next mission. I hope it's an easy one for Eren's first mission, but then again, I though the last operation was an easy one and I almost lost Gunther.

It's hard to sneak around with Eren, but we manage. He'll come by my quarters late at night when everyone not on night duty is in their quarters, and he'll sneak back later that same night or early in the morning. We don't always have sex. Sometimes we just talk and act with each other in ways we can't when we're around other people. I find that I really enjoy those nights too. I feel like I'm growing close with Eren, that we're learning things about each other and are really connecting.

The night of his twenty-second birthday, I had even managed to convince the kitchen staff to make a small cake, which I then fed to him in my quarters between kisses and other delicate touches. He told me that night that it was the best birthday he could ever remember having, and that made my heart ache. My last birthday with him at my apartment was the best birthday I had ever had, so I understand that feeling. It makes me think about Carla though, and how much better and different his life would have been if she hadn't been killed, if I had been able to find those bastards first.

It's nearing the end of April, and the weather has been starting to warm up. Running exercises outside has become easier for both me and my squad. It's been four and a half months since our last operation, and I'm finding it difficult to keep my squad ready and in shape. Training in a lot of these exercises doesn't do much without being able to use the techniques in real world scenarios regularly outside of the base. But I have faith in my squad and in their skills.

I look up from the operation specs that had been slipped under my door sometime before I woke up at five. Eren is still asleep, sprawled across my bed on his stomach, his naked body covered only by a sheet that has nearly slipped from his hips. The key that never leaves his neck peaks out from underneath his shoulder, just barely visible. Glancing at the clock on my wall, I see that it's almost six. Lowering the thick packet onto the top of my desk, I stand and cross over to the bed.

"Oi," I murmur, sitting down on the edge of the bed and putting a light hand on Eren's tan shoulder. "Time to wake up, brat."

He moans, burying his face into the pillow. "Five more minutes," he mumbles, his voice muffled by the pillow.

I sigh. I'd love to give him five more minutes. I'd love to stare at him naked in my bed all day. But the other privates will be waking up in the next few minutes, and he needs to get back to his own room before then, before people are up and awake to see him sneak out of my quarters.

"Up, brat."

I skim my fingers lightly up his side. He's wide awake in a heartbeat, vaulting off of the bed with a squeak. I can't help but laugh.

"I'm up I'm up I'm up..." he murmurs, rubbing at his eye as he fumbles for his clothes. "What time is it?"

"Almost six. Hurry up and get back to your room," I tell him, moving back to my desk to grab my half jacket from the back of the chair.

He nods and quickly pulls his clothes back on. Before he heads for the door, he presses a quick kiss to my lips, then leaves my quarters to go back to his room. I sit back down at my desk and pick up the mission specs again. I'm nervous about this one. I have to bring Eren. I have no excuse to leave him behind. This one is long though. Two weeks. It's in a swamp in Switzerland only about fifty klicks north of the location of the last assignment. There must be something serious going on there for Erwin to send us twice. This one is calling for much more infiltration and data extraction. We're also to eliminate a target. The description is minimal of the target though. It could be tricky. I just hope Eren can handle it.

At seven, I call my squad together to meet in one of the classrooms. Eld and Petra rearrange a few of the desks to face in a circle. Eren is confused, wondering why we're not in the gym doing our morning routine. So I guess no one has told him what this means yet.

"Would you guys sit the fuck down and shut up so we can get this over with?" I snap at them, sliding myself into one of the uncomfortable metal chairs, dropping the thick file onto my desk.

They take their seats, and I pass some of the papers to Eld so he can look them over.

"We're finally getting deployed," I tell them, flipping the file open on my desk.

Eren's eyes widen and he looks around at the others excitedly. A smile pulls at his lips. If he knew what our assignments were like, he wouldn't be so excited. I sure as hell am not.

"We deploy in four days, for two weeks. Our location is fifty kliks north of our last location," I say. "In a fucking swamp."

"Is it related to our last assignment?" Petra asks.

"Like hell if I know. They don't tell me shit," I retort. "It could be related, but that doesn't matter. Our parameters are mostly reconnaissance, but it looks like they want electronic evidence. Logs, member lists, communication reports, etcetera. It looks like these are small fry in a larger organization and the Department of Defense wants the location of the main branch. We've also been given a target to eliminate."

"Do we get photos this time or just descriptions like usual?" Gunther grumbles.

"It's our lucky day," I say, completely sarcastic though as I pull out the one photograph and toss it to him. "They gave us one satellite photograph."

Gunther looks happy for all of two seconds before he catches the photo and looks it over. "Are you kidding me? I've seen clearer picture of the Loc Ness Monster!"

"No, I'm not fucking kidding you," I retort. "Apparently this guy doesn't go out much. That's the only picture they've been able to get of him. We have a somewhat detailed description, however."

"Somewhat?" Oluo questions.

"Yeah," Eld murmurs, looking through his own summarized report. I'm the only one allowed to see the detailed report. "Very somewhat. Five foot eight to six foot two, one hundred and eighty to two hundred and fifty pounds, brown hair, Caucasian."

"So pretty much every white adult male on the planet," Gunther retorts. He waves the photo in the air. "And this doesn't add much."

"He's supposedly the 'leader' of this location," I supply. "We have two weeks to do tight reconnaissance and figure out who's giving the orders."

"What's the timeline?" Oluo asks.

"Day two perimeter set up and long distance observation. Days three and four also long distance observation. Days five and six short distance observation. Days seven through ten ground infiltration and recorded evidence collection. Day eleven and twelve electronic evidence collection. Day thirteen the hit," I say, making it up as I go, as I always do. It's easier to make timelines on the spot than try to plan and scheme and brainstorm over them. They always turn out better if I don't spend two days trying to find the perfect timeline.

"What about day one?" It's the first time Eren has spoken since we sat down to start this briefing. His eyes are wide and he looks a little lost, his hand fidgeting nervously with the key around his neck. That usually happens with new recruits on their first briefing. I'll have to go over all of this again with him later.

Petra leans over to murmur the answer in Eren's ears. "Day one and day fourteen are travel days."

He nods and looks back at me, waiting for me to continue. I sit back in the uncomfortable chair, draping an arm over the back and crossing my legs. These briefings are so boring. Good thing they don't last very long.

"This assignment is going to be very similar to the last, only it'll be longer and we will have to get more hands on," I tell them.

"Have you decided who's going to do the hit?" Eld asks.

This is always a tricky decision. I usually do it myself because I like to keep my squads' hands as clean as possible. These hits are the government's dirty work, and if it ever came out we were doing these assassinations, the U.S. government would never take responsibility for ordering them. All that dirty work will fall on me and my squad, and I want to keep them as far out of it as I can. But it's not always that easy.

"I'll carry out the hit," I say, "but you know it's not so cut and dry. We'll work out a detailed plan. You'll most likely be my back up if I fail, then... Oluo, Petra, Gunther, then Eren. I'll get a detailed plan together before we deploy. Any questions?"

Everyone is silent for a long moment, then Eren raises his hand. I roll my eyes at him. "This isn't high school, brat. You don't have to raise your hand. But hold your questions. I'm going to go over everything again with you later."

He nods, and with no questions from anyone else, I dismiss them. We go through our morning routine, then run through exercises using the maneuvering gear. I'm trying to train Eren to use only one hand grip for short amounts of time. It's not easy, and it severely limits mobility, but it's necessary if a gun needs to be used. It's only for a couple of seconds though, depending on how fast he can draw, fire, and holster his gun.

"You're not supposed to be doing fancy shit while you do this, Eren!" I snap at him, following closely behind him with my own gear. "You're just trying to stay in the air while you eliminate a threat."

"Yes, sir!" he replies, frowning in determination.

He fires both grappling hooks, then quickly throws his right one into its holster. His right hand hovers by the gun in its holster. We're not working on firing just yet. I don't trust him not to shoot himself. Hopefully he won't need to use his gun during the assignment. He's incredible with his blades, so hopefully, if he needs to attack a threat, the blades will be enough for him.

He tries to maneuver with a spin around a tree. He loses control and fumbles for his right handgrip, but he drops it and it dangles by his knee. He panics. I dive in and grab the back of his jacket before he gets himself hurt. He looks up at me, and he's embarrassed. Good. It'll force him to try harder.

"I can hold your heavy ass up and maneuver with one hand, so why can't you do it for five seconds?" I snap at him before dropping him.

He fires his hooks and takes off without a word. When he gets his rhythm back, he immediately tries again. It takes him a few more attempts, but he finally manages to last about twenty seconds on one hand, which should be more than enough time. He practices this for another hour until the rest of my squad finishes their exercises. Then, I have them set up targets to see if he can actually hit one while using his maneuvering gear. We've already practiced hitting a target while moving, using the jeeps.

By the time the sun starts to set and we need to pack it up, the trees around the three cardboard cutouts are covered in red paintballs, with only one cutout sporting a red mark on its knee. Eren is upset, but he actually did pretty well considering he just learned this today. I can't help feeling a little nervous though. I just don't want him to get hurt.

As I leave the bathroom, still towel drying my hair, I see Eren coming down the hall with his own towel draped over his shoulder.

"Captain," he greets casually enough, but I don't miss his eyes flicking down to my bare chest briefly.

"Come by my quarters after your shower. I need to brief you again, because god knows everything I said earlier today went right over your fucking head."

He nods and heads into the bathroom. Back in my quarters, I leave my door open, then pull on a tank top and run a brush quickly through my hair. Sitting at my desk, I pull out the mission specs and open the file. It's not too much later that there is a knock on my open door. Eren stands in the doorway, hair still damp, in his sweats and T-shirt.

"Come in," I tell him, looking back down at the file.

Eren closes the door behind himself, then instead of sitting in the chair on the other side of my desk, he plops down onto my perfectly made bed, leaning back with his hands splayed on the mattress. He crosses his ankles and watches me, not saying a word. God why does he have to be so fucking cute?

"What were your questions from earlier?" I ask him, leaning back in my chair and crossing one knee over the other.

"Uhm, on day one... I mean day two, you said we're going to set up a perimeter. How do we do that?" he asks.

"When we're in one place for longer than a week, we set out small devices surrounding our location, usually with about a fifty yard radius. They'll send a signal to a receiver if something crosses this perimeter. Day two will be planting and hiding these perimeter alarms and setting up camp."

He nods. "Okay, and then what's the difference between long distance and short distance observations?"

I exhale sharply, tilting my head back and pinching the bridge of my nose. "Did you not pay attention at all during Eld's lessons?"

"I did! I just meant, for this particular assignment," he says, looking down at his feet.

"It'll be pretty basic. Long distance observation is monitoring enemy numbers and patrol patterns, shift changes, observing weaker and stronger combatants, weak and strong points in the patrol. Short distance is observing base procedures, combatant ranks, heavy traffic areas, communication patterns."

"So everything Eld already told me."

I frown. "Yes, everything Eld already told you."

"Okay," he says with a giggle. I want to strangle him and kiss him at the same time.

"Did you have any more questions, brat?" I ask, closing the file and tossing on top of my desk.

"Uhm, yeah, I do have one more question," he says, and suddenly his tone is much more serious. He leans forward towards me, his elbows resting on his knees and his hands clasped together. "With the hit... what did you mean by 'if I fail'?"

"If I get killed or if I simply fail to complete the hit," I answer. I can't sugarcoat anything with him, as much as I want to. He needs to be prepared.

He nods, but looks disturbed.

"Don't worry too much about that," I tell him. "Most likely, you will be left on that day to guard the site and coordinate our pick up. And just so you know, I've failed to complete a hit only a handful of times, and none were due to my lack of skill or any imminent danger to myself. I can handle myself. I want you to worry about yourself. Don't do anything stupid and get yourself killed."

"I won't. At least, I'll try not to."

"Anymore questions?"

"I'll probably have more questions later, but for now I think I've got it," he says.

"Good," I reply, standing and crossing the small room.

His eyes widen slightly as I push him back onto the bed and climb on top of him. We're both tense, both a little nervous for the upcoming assignment. We could use a little stress relief. That, and when we deploy, we won't be able to be intimate for two weeks until we get back. I'm going to take advantage of the time we have together now, and try not to think about the upcoming assignment. Eren does a very good job of keeping it off my mind.

* * *

><p><strong>zoey04ereri. tumblr. com<strong>


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